


You Are Invited

by AlsRogers



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Action, After Endgame they deserve to be happy together, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst and Humor, Beginnings, Bottom Steve Rogers, Bottom Tony Stark, Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers: Infinity War, Domestic Avengers, Everybody is supportive because everybody always knew, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Free weekend, Game Night, Gen, Greek Mythology - Freeform, House Party, Kitchen Sex, M/M, Natasha is the best friend ever, No post-Endgame angst here, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Canon Fix-It, Protective Avengers, Rimming, Romance, Sassy Steve Rogers, Steve got the best birthday gift, Team as Family, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, blowjob, pop culture references, private island
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-07-04 21:48:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 38,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15850032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlsRogers/pseuds/AlsRogers
Summary: “Come on, I don’t want to be here when Fury arrives. Bureaucracies drain my beauty.”“And you still say you're a business man.” Steve shook his head and moved toward the quinjet, leaving Tony behind.Tony stared at Steve's back, his brain running a million miles per hour. What had just happened? Had he got it right? And what was that hole full of air that he had in his stomach? Was it a delayed effect of the explosion? It didn’t seem possible, because a side effect wouldn’t make him smile, right?orBetween fights against Mad Titans, terrorist organizations, villains wanting to destroy NY and sleepless nights, the Avengers find time to have fun - and some of them even find time to go crazy for super soldiers.





	1. Side Effect

**Author's Note:**

> This is the result of many fics read and a lot of frustration with the beginning of some and the end of others and the constant thinking "why can't they join and become the fic I'm looking for?"
> 
> Thinking about it, I decided to get my hands dirty and write the story I wanted to read and not those I always start to read, but never ends as I would like, or the ones that never begins as I would like, but ends in the best way possible.
> 
> Also, after a few changes, it was my way to process Endgame. This is my headcanon and I hope this helps you to see things by the bright side again.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> P.S.: The "Explicit" rating is valid for chapters 7 and 8 specifically. All other chapters are free for everybody. But since it's not yet possible to classify chapters separately, the whole story will be classified as explicit.

“Is this a joke?” Clint asked in a bored voice.

“Just keep firing,” Natasha said in a voice as bored as his. “The sooner we finish here, the faster we go home.”

“Guys, focus, please,” Steve had his “Captain America” voice on, all serious and professional.

The reason for such boredom were A.I.M. agents who tried, in vain, to stop them from invading one of their bases in Alaska. Clint snorted.

“I just don’t see why so much firepower. It's the A.I.M.! Why so much effort?”

“They now have a new leader, the Scientist Supreme,” Tony flew above them, firing their repulsors at a group of agents dressed in yellow. “According to S.H.I.E.L.D. he designed a new weapon with technology stolen from various sources and we still don’t know all that it can do.”

“We're working on the basis of ‘better safe than sorry,’” Sam commented.

“Then let's go in and find that weapon,” Clint said as he fired an explosive arrow.

“Hawkeye is right,” Steve said. “Thor, clear the way. Hulk, open a passage.”

“Aye, Captain!” The rumbling voice of the god of thunder rang in the comms, and then lightning struck the A.I.M.'s remaining agents, leaving the Hulk free space to make his way through the reinforced and theoretically impenetrable steel wall.

“Friday, what do you see?” Tony asked the A.I.

“The whole first floor was evacuated, boss. All the remaining agents are in the basement.”

“How many?”

“60, boss. All armed.”

“Any trap we should know?” Steve asked.

“All the connections were cut, Captain,” Friday answered promptly. “Even the power grid.”

“I can take care of that, Captain,” Thor said, taking the lead. He lifted his ax, drawing a lightning from the sky and holding it to the metal like a torch.

“Great,” Steve said. “Let's move.”

They walked for a few minutes, following Friday's instructions to locate themselves inside the A.I.M. base, until they reached the elevator that gave access to the basement.

“No power, no elevator,” Clint said.

“Thank you for the obvious, genius,” Natasha said sourly.

Hulk approached and with a grunt forced the elevator doors, opening them.

“There,” he said in his hoarse, high voice.

“What do you mean, ‘there’”? Clint asked. “How do we get down there?”

Hulk glared at him threateningly over the shoulder and jumped into the elevator shaft without a word. Clint gave a nervous laugh.

“Of course, as if we could all jump in a 160-feet elevator shaft as if the ground were jelly.”

“Okay, Mr. Obvious. Let's get down,” Sam grabbed Clint from under his arms and disappeared into the hoistway.

“Thor, how about a ride?” Natasha approached the elevator shaft.

“Hold on, Widow,” He held the spy by the waist and they too came down.

Tony looked away and saw Steve staring at him. Behind the armor, Tony smiled and opened his arms.

“Very well, Cap, your carriage awaits you.”

Steve rolled his eyes and shook his head, but Tony could see the corners of the soldier's mouth creeping into a smile. He liked to make Steve laugh, especially if it was with bad jokes. Tony grabbed Steve under his arms and they both came down without saying anything through the long elevator shaft.

“Okay, Friday, what do we got?” Tony asked A.I. as soon as he landed with Steve in the middle of the others.

“Go another thirty yards down the hall and you'll find a passage on the left that leads directly to the Scientist Supreme’s weapon.”

“You heard. Move it!”

Walking in pairs on the narrow corridor, the Avengers followed Friday's directions until they found the access door.

“Hulk?” Steve called, and immediately the huge avenger punched the door, sending it across the room, and it turned out to be a large shed, full with agents dressed in yellow sheltering protectively around a lighted structure in the center of the room, and who were already waiting for the heroes, wielding their weapons.

“Is that the weapon there?” Sam asked.

“Yes,” Tony confirmed.

“Do not let them come closer!” A muffled, accented voice shrieked behind the lighted structure, and all the yellow agents responded to it advancing against the Avengers.

“The Scientist Supreme,” Natasha said.

“Iron Man, Widow, Hawkeye, take care of the weapon and the Scientist Supreme,” Steve commanded. “Thor, Hulk, Sam, give cover. Go!”

Everyone moved. It was impressive Steve's ability to lead a team like that, Tony couldn't help thinking, with so many conflicting personalities, huge egos and everyone with enough power to question his leadership. But nobody did. On the contrary, everyone respected him a lot and waited for the Captain's orders. How could he do that?  
All this took no more than two seconds in Tony's overactive mind, that was approaching from the left side of the weapon, while Clint and Natasha followed on the right side, cornering the Scientist Supreme.

“Friday, what am I dealing with here?”

“It seems that the Scientist Supreme has set up a jigsaw puzzle, boss. The weapon was produced with parts from A.I.M., Hydra, Hammer Industries... and Stark Industries.”

Tony stopped in the air.

“Excuse me?”

“Yes, boss. There's Stark technology in this weapon.”

“Where exactly?”

“At the energy core, sir. A prototype discarded from the arc reactor,” an image of the inside of the gun appeared on Tony's interface, showing the exact location of the energy core.

“But he managed to stabilize the variables in that reactor,” Tony thought aloud.

“Yes, boss.”

“But what about the other pieces?”

“The outside has been assembled with parts from Hydra and Hammer Industries, I imagine for strength and stability,” Friday said. “The rest of the internal technology is A.I.M.'s used to amplify the power of the reactor.”

Tony snorted in disdain.

“Justin Hammer and stability in the same sentence doesn’t make any sense, Friday.”

“But it looks like it does to the Scientist Supreme, sir,” she said petulantly.

“The point is,” Tony was startled by the interruption of Steve's voice on the communicator. “What does this weapon do?”

Tony took another look at the drawings on his monitor before answering.

“In practical terms, this is a long-range bomb.”

“How much?”

“If we can’t stop these guys and the Scientist Supreme, and he can detonate the bomb, not only Alaska, but the entire west coast of Canada, sink to Attuma’s kingdom.”

“So we don’t have time to lose,” Steve said. “You heard Tony. Let's end this.”

Tony heard Thor walk past him, laughing and landing near the Hulk.

“You do not have to say it twice, Captain.”

“Hulk likes this kind of mission!”

If one day someone ever imagined what a super strength child would be, it wouldn’t be necessary to go very far to see the results, Tony thought seeing the Asgardian god and the green giant crushing A.I.M. agents. He headed back toward the Scientist Supreme who was already under Clint and Natasha's eye.

“You're very naïve if you think you're going to be able to stop me,” the A.I.M. leader said. “Nothing can stop my greatest creation and destroy the Avengers will be perfect to show the world what we are capable of.”

Tony steadied in the air a little above the Scientist Supreme and raised his arms, pointing his repulsors straight at his chest.

“Why don’t you just surrender?” Tony asked.

The A.I.M. chief laughed mockingly.

“Never. The A.I.M. never surrenders.”

“Why do they always choose the hardest way?” Clint said, throwing a freezing arrow and hitting precisely on the Scientist Supreme's legs.

“Hardest for whom?” Natasha asked with a smirk, punching the Scientist Supreme, making him faint. She looked at Tony. “Your turn, genius.”

“No need to ask twice,” the engineer approached the weapon's control panel and his fingers instinctively flew across the keyboard, searching for loopholes in the system.

“Friday, try hacking remotely.”

“Already working on it, boss.”

“Captain, how's the sitch?”

“Everything under control,” Steve said. “The Hulk just threw the last of the agents through the entrance. What about there?”

“Widow and Hawkeye have already knocked out the Scientist Supreme.”

“I've already contacted S.H.I.E.L.D. to extract this idiot,” Natasha said.

“Good,” Steve said.

Tony felt his presence even before his sensors identified Steve approaching on his right side. They had been fighting together for years now and nothing seemed able to weaken the relationship they had built. Not even the divergence of ideas that divided the Avengers and made Tony and Steve stay two whole years without talking. In fact, the Avengers’ Civil War only served to make the two, and the rest of the team, realize that they were stronger together and that being without the other was a price too high and not worth being paid.

After all this time, Tony didn’t even have to look to know that Steve was around, they could talk with just one look and there was no one Tony would trust more. Sure, everyone else was Tony's family, people he loved and trusted, otherwise he would never have taken them all under his own roof and entrusted his life to them more than once. But with Steve it was different, another level, so to speak. And even being a genius, Tony couldn’t explain why, there was no way to name what Steve represented to him. And maybe that was better: their relationship was so special and unique that it didn’t even have a category.

“Got it, boss,” Tony jumped in Friday's voice. He blinked several times, regaining his focus.

“Okay, let's turn this thing off.”

A little more than two minutes later, a warning signal began to ring in the large shed.

“Tell me this was you deactivating the bomb,” Clint said.

“I wish I could,” Tony said, his fingers running over the keyboard and his frantic eyes reading the codes on the screen in front of him. “It seems that the Scientist Supreme here was well guarded this time,” A counter appeared on the bomb's monitor and a one-minute countdown began. “He added a detonator to the programming code if the weapon was deactivated externally.”

“And that's exactly what happened,” Natasha snorted.

“We need to get this thing out of here,” Steve said, his light stance fading. “Tony, if the gun is taken out of the ground, will it detonate?”

“No. It'll only detonate when those forty seconds are over,” Tony looked at Steve and he could almost see the soldier's brain running.

“Thor, Hulk, take this structure off the ground,” the two Avengers obeyed and, each one going to one side of the weapon, began to pound the ground. “Tony, how much does this thing weigh?”

“Friday?” Tony called.

“A ton and a half, boss.”

“Jesus, what did that guy put in there?” Sam asked.

Steve ignored him and kept looking at Tony.

“Do you think you can take this away from the mainland?”

“No problem. Thor, a little hand?”

“Aye!” The god of thunder and Tony grabbed each of the sides of the structure and pulled it off the ground.

“Hulk, a passage through the ceiling, please,” Tony asked and with a roar, Hulk flew past him toward the ceiling, making his way to the base exit.

“Quick, we only have fifteen seconds,” Tony said. Without waiting for further encouragement, Thor summoned his lightning and they began to rise, carrying the weapon with them.

“I hope your idea works,” Clint said to Steve.

“It will.”

“Let's get out of here,” Sam called. “They might need us up there.”

Clint used one of his arrows to launch a rope to pull him and Natasha up and Sam took Steve. In the middle of their way up they heard the explosion.

“Hurry up!” Steve said urgently.

Eight seconds later, the four of them were outside the A.I.M. base beside the Hulk, watching a large cloud of black smoke and flaming wreckage falling on the ground.

“And it worked, huh?” Clint jostled Steve’s shoulder.

“Not yet. Tony?” Steve called. No response on the comms. “Thor? Anyone copying?” Steve's heart sped up. “Tony? Tony, say something!” He stared at Sam and Natasha. “Their locators. Try to find them,” the two Avengers rushed to the quinjet and Steve faced Clint. “Prepare a dampening arrow and stay alert. Hulk, the same for you, eyes open,” Steve looked up frantically looking for some sign of red and gold motion in the dark sky. “Come on, Tony, where are you?”

The seconds that passed seemed like eternity, but the rational part of Steve was still commanding. Nothing had really happened, or they would see pieces of armor scattered around, right?

“Captain?” Natasha called.

“What do you have?”

“We...”

“Remind me not to do it again without a nice sound-isolator on. My head is exploding,” Tony's voice appeared on the comms, and Steve let out his breath. “Of course the pun was intentional.”

“...found him,” Sam finished Natasha's phrase with a small smile in his voice.

Tony and Thor landed in front of Clint and Steve with no apparent scratches. The faceplate of the armor opened revealing Tony's face.

“Where were you?” Steve asked.

“The force of the explosion sent us away. It just took a little while to get back,” Tony said.

“You could’ve warned us.”

“What for? We were already on our way back,” Steve frowned and Tony smiled. “It's all right, Stevie.” He put a hand on the soldier's shoulder, that smiled lightly. “You won’t be able to get rid of me that easy.”

Steve looked back at him and Tony was surprised by the intensity. That was new.

“And who said I want to?” Steve replied with a smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

“If you're finished, can we go home?” Clint asked. “I'm exhausted and hungry.”

Tony blinked and took his hand from Steve's shoulder, which remained motionless. Hulk approached them.

“You'd better not eat all the pickles,” he told Clint, looking at him from above.

“Pickles? What pickles?” Clint started to walk away, heading toward the quinjet. “You know what he's talking about, Thor?”

“Maybe friend Hulk is referring to the pickles you ate for lunch today.” Thor smiled innocently.

“WHAT?!” Hulk shouted.

“Hell, Thor, I thought we were friends!” Clint ran into the quinjet with Hulk behind him and Thor following them laughing out loud.

Tony looked at Steve one more time and wasn’t surprised to find the soldier staring at him, his eyes inscrutable. Maybe he was imagining things.

“Come on, I don’t want to be here when Fury arrives. Bureaucracies drain my beauty.”

“And you still say you're a business man.” Steve shook his head and moved toward the quinjet, leaving Tony behind.

Tony stared at Steve's back, his brain running a million miles per hour. What had just happened? Had he got it right? And what was that hole full of air that he had in his stomach? Was it a delayed effect of the explosion? It didn’t seem possible, because a side effect wouldn’t make him smile, right?


	2. Maybe

It had been a year since Thanos had come up with his plan to decimate half of the universe with the excuse of "balance." The Avengers, alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel, were able to defeat the Mad Titan and restore the life as if it was before his arrival - with a little help from the Infinity Gauntlet. That was why the Avengers had now returned to the Avengers Tower, but they had remained with all the memories, even the painful ones, and some modifications had been made in the team.

Wanda and Vision were traveling the world in a well-deserved sabbatical; Bucky remained in Wakanda with T'Challa; Rhodes was assisting the UN in a new Bureau of Intergalactic Threats and S.H.I.E.L.D. had been restored under the direction of Nick Fury, who only agreed to return if the Sokovia Accords were repealed, which the President accepted immediately, to despair of Secretary Ross. The Guardians and Captain Marvel returned to monitor the space, but they always sent news and everything was fine.  
On Earth, everything had gone back being what it had always been, with the usual villains, with their plans to dominate the world or to destroy New York or simply to destroy the Avengers and then make their way for the rest. It was good to be back to the routine.

The quinjet landed in the Avengers Tower hangar a few hours after leaving the A.I.M. base in Alaska, and despite the Hulk's angry grunts toward Hawkeye because of the lost pickles, it was a silent trip with Steve and Natasha piloting and the others sitting around the holographic table.

"Welcome back, boss," Friday greeted cheerfully as Tony and the others stepped out of the elevator and into the common area of the Tower penthouse.

"Thanks, Friday," Tony said, tapping the reactor in his chest twice, pulling back the armor, revealing his dark jeans and black T-shirt. “Any news?”

“Mr. Parker is still in his room, as you told him to do, boss. There are three hundred and eighty unread emails on your server and the construction of the stabilizer you were working on has ended.”

"Tell Peter we’re home and ask him to come up. Delete all the emails. Begin the tests with the stabilizer.”

“Immediately, boss.”

With a sigh of pleasure Tony glanced at the living room in front of him, with the huge TV, the plushy rug and soft sofas, and he resisted the temptation of throwing himself into one of them to turn around and head towards the kitchen, where the others were, each on a sit around the huge marble counter.

“You. Ate. My. PICKLES!” Hulk shouted to Clint and made the glasses tremble on the table.

"Get over it, please," Clint raised his hands defensively. "Tomorrow I'll get another jar of pickles just for you.”

"Hulk doesn't want tomorrow. Hulk wanted today.”

"No use to argue," Clint threw his hands up and focused on biting his sandwich.

Tony ignored the confusion and headed straight for his huge, potent coffee machine to pour himself a generous mug of hot coffee. That was all he needed to recover his energies and clear his ideas. Tony Stark's fuel was good old caffeine. He had finished his first mug without even realizing that he had taken it all in one breath.

"You're still going to have an attack on how much coffee you drink," Natasha observed.

"On the contrary, deary," Tony said as he filled his second mug. "If I don’t drink there, yes, something very bad can happen."

"You should eat something," Steve said from his place at the end of the counter.

 _Finally he said something,_ Tony thought.

Since they had left Alaska, Steve hadn’t said anything else and that was making Tony uncomfortable. It wasn’t uncommon for the soldier to be silent, but something was happening, Tony could feel it, he just couldn’t know exactly what it was.

"I don’t care about food, Steve, sweetie, and you know it.”

Steve was without his helmet, so it was possible to see his face clearly now. So clearly that Tony could see his cheeks turning red at the answer.

_But what..._

“What's up, Mr. Stark? Is everything all right?”

Tony's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Peter, who looked exactly as a high school student should be, wearing sweatpants, a shirt two sizes larger than his, white socks, unkempt hair, and the wrinkled face of those who spent hours studying. Tony knew that expression well. He saw it every morning when he looked at himself in the reflection of some new equipment in the laboratory.

"Hey, kid. You look awful," Tony hugged Peter by the shoulder and held him there. If he’d learned something from the recent conflicts it was that losing people is an extremely painful process. Tony had already lost Steve and that was like having his heart ripped out, but when Peter simply turned dust into his arms, Tony found himself without his ground, with nothing. That boy had become much more than Tony had hoped for, sort of an anchor, and then...

When Peter returned from the inside the Soul Stone, Tony saw the second chance he had so much asked to the universe, even without much hope. And at that moment, Tony promised that he would do anything to never lose any of the two most important people in his life, neither Peter nor Steve.

"I spent the day studying as you said," Peter said, rubbing his eyes.

"Is that why you did not join us today, young Parker?" Thor asked.

“My finals are tomorrow...”

"...and his education is much more important than invading A.I.M. bases," Tony interrupted.

“Was it an A.I.M. base?" Peter whimpered. “Mr. Stark, I really wanted to go.”

"Do your final exams tomorrow and then we'll have the whole summer," Tony winked.

Peter smiled.

“Thanks, Mr. Stark.”

"Now go back to your room and get some rest."

"But I wanted to know how the battle was."

"Tony's right," Steve interrupted. "If you have important tests tomorrow, you must rest.”

Peter snorted and Tony laughed.

"You heard our leader. Go to sleep. Or I'll call May and send you back to her.”

Peter disengaged himself from Tony's embrace.

"I love my aunt, but I also love staying here," he started to walk away toward the elevator. “I'm already going to my room.”

"I know I left school a while ago, but the final exams shouldn’t have happened already, like, a couple of weeks ago?" Clint asked, counting on his fingers. "July's already around the corner.”

Tony took a long sip of coffee before answering.

“Peter missed the final tests because Spider-Man was on a mission with the Avengers. But Peter Parker was hospitalized because of a pneumonia. I myself took the certificates signed by the hospital doctors to the school to get Peter to take the tests at a later date.”

"And how did you get that?" Steve asked.

"Natasha got it for me." Tony winked at the spy who gave a small smile.

"You're unbelievable," Steve said shaking his head.

"Yeah, I know." Tony took another sip of coffee and poured himself another mug. "But this time it was a matter of being fair to the boy. He lost the finals because he was helping us. I just helped him back," he stared at Steve. "I learned that from you.”

Steve narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. This was a battle won for Tony and Tony knew the soldier knew.

"Okay, the chat's fine, but I'm going to bed." Clint got up and stretched his arms over his head. "I need a shower and some quiet time”

"I'm going too." Natasha got up and was followed by Thor and Hulk.

"Hulk, you don’t have to follow me," Clint said. "I don’t have pickles hidden in my room.”

"Hulk wasn’t following anyone. But now you gave Hulk a great idea.”

“Oh, come on!”

The four of them disappeared into the elevator, and silence reigned in the kitchen. Tony looked at Steve.

“What about you?”

Steve looked back.

“Me what?”

“Aren’t you going to sleep?”

"Do you want me to go to sleep?"

Tony swallowed and took a sip of coffee. Maybe it was the caffeine finally working, but he could not say exactly what was going on there.

"No," he heard himself say. Then he added, "I like to talk to you."

Steve looked away, but Tony saw the corner of his mouth drawn into a smile.

"But tell me, how are you feeling with your birthday coming soon?"

Steve got up and began to collect the dishes left by the other Avengers and to carefully arrange them into a pile he placed inside the sink.

"I don’t really like my birthday, Tony, and you know that.”

"But it's Independence Day. More Captain America than that, it’s impossible.”

Steve stopped before picking up one of the glasses and stared at Tony, who smiled behind the coffee mug. This was an inside joke of their own. The whole country knew that the Fourth of July, the national date, was Captain America's birthday, and that coincidence every year generated a commotion. What no one seemed to remember was that the Fourth of July was also Steve Rogers' birthday, the man under the mask. And Tony made a point of teasing Steve every year, until the other started not to care anymore, but to have fun with the teasing.

"How lucky I am to have the whole country partying for me, right?" Steve said acidly as he set the glasses in the sink.

"Come on, Steve, it's not every day we celebrate one hundred years old.”

"Are you counting?"

“Aren’t you?”

"It's not on my priority list for the day.”

"Still, it's an important date."

"It's just another date on the calendar, Tony.”

“No, it's not. It's your birthday," Tony leaned his coffee mug on the counter and glowered at Steve. "It should be the most important day of the year.”

"Don’t tell me it should be a holiday. Someone's had this idea before you," Steve smirked and turned to start washing dishes.

"Look who's all sassy." Tony finished the rest of the coffee and took the mug to the sink, where he leaned next to Steve, facing the kitchen entrance. "Since when are you so petulant, Stevie-pie?"

The red tone from before came back up Steve's neck and Tony couldn’t help but think it was cute that the American boy scout would turn red with the names Tony was calling him.

 _Maybe I should call him that more often,_ Tony thought. _Wait, what?_

"Why don’t you use the dishwasher?"

"Washing with soap and sponge helps me think.”

"And what do you need to think so much about?"

“Right now?” Steve looked at Tony and the engineer was surprised by the intensity of the blue. "Nothing special.”

Tony swallowed. _Change the subject, quick._

"Well, you said you weren’t excited for your birthday, right?"

Steve turned his attention back to the dishes.

“Right.”

"So a birthday party is out of the table?"

“Completely.”

"Would you be very angry if you had a party?"

"Not any party. A birthday party _for me._ ”

Tony suddenly had the best of ideas.

_How didn’t I think about this before? I really am a genius. A bit slow at times, but always a genius._

Steve didn’t like his birthday and Tony respected that. However, Tony also liked to make the soldier smile, make him happy. And he already knew how.

“Tony?”

Tony blinked and realized that Steve was looking at him.

“What?”

"You're not planning to throw a birthday party for me, are you?"

Tony heaved an exaggeratedly heavy sigh.

"I was." He saw Steve frown and raised his hands. "But I was _only_ thinking. Relax. I know you don’t enjoy your birthday. What do you think I am? An insensitive playboy?”

Steve stepped away from the sink and took a cloth napkin to wipe his hands. He approached Tony and less than ten inches separated them. Tony looked up to find Steve's blue eyes, at least a taller head than the engineer. Tony felt his heart race and his mouth went dry.

 _Why?,_ he wondered with a small part of his mind, because the rest were hyperconscious of Steve's presence there, emanating warmth and security, a familiarity that Tony liked to have around.

"As you told me many years ago," Steve said in a low but amused tone, just for Tony. "You're a genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist," he smiled the brightest smile Tony had ever seen. “Insensitive wasn’t on the list and I don’t think it’s ever been.”

Without looking away or stop smiling, Steve took Tony's arm and squeezed lightly.

"Good night, Tony," Steve walked away and headed for the kitchen entrance, where he stopped and turned around. "Have good dreams.”

Tony waited for the elevator door to close to release the air he was holding and tried to control his heart. He was sure that Steve could hear every beat with his improved audition, but that was the least of Tony's problems at the moment.

He and Steve had already been around each other many times, fighting side-by-side, spending time together or with the rest of the team, but never before Tony's heart pounded as much as now. Never before his mouth was so dry. Never before he wanted to touch Steve back. Never before he wanted to ask Steve to stay.

At some point that Tony couldn’t really figure it out precisely, something had changed.

Maybe it was when they first met and fought Loki and saved the world together for the first time and became best friends.  
Or maybe it was when he realized that he couldn’t live without Steve soon after they fought in Siberia and Steve was gone away.  
Or maybe it was when Tony first got news from Steve in months and learned that he, Sam and Natasha were working underground and desperately wanted to use the flip phone that Steve had sent in the mail and ask the soldier to come home.  
Or maybe it was when he thought Steve had turned into dust too, and Tony would never be able to say that he was sorry for everything and that none of that was worth it.  
Or maybe it was when they saved the world from Thanos and went back home together and Tony finally realized that everything was fine and that he would never let Steve leave again.  
Or maybe it was when Steve flirted with him in Alaska for the first time.

_Was it the first time?_

Looking back, with different lenses, maybe that wasn’t the first time. And, _maybe,_ looking through the same lenses, Tony's racing heart wasn’t so unheard of. Maybe it's happened a lot more than Tony had ever realized.

_What is going on?_

But maybe that wasn’t the right question. And Tony realized he had to admit it to himself.

 _What_ has been _going on all this time?_

Surely Tony would dream that night. He just didn’t know if the dreams really would be as good as Steve had wished for him.


	3. Love Problems

"Why again did you sir ask to receive these grades by the mail?" Peter asked, wringing his fingers nervously.

"Because that was our deal, remember?" Tony glanced at him over the envelope as he ripped the top, picking up a folded sheet from inside. "And if you haven’t gone through with praise in your finals, no fighting crime with the Avengers for you."

"This is so unfair," Peter said. "I've almost killed myself studying. I was stuck inside this Tower for days!”

"And now let's see if all this worked." Tony shook the folded sheet between them.

They were in the lab and Tony couldn’t remember the last time Peter had woken up so early on his own. That was really important to the boy, being a hero and fighting with the Avengers had become an essential part of who he was, but after Thanos, Tony felt even more responsible for him. So Tony took on the task of supervising Peter's studies and making sure that no aspect of life outside the Avengers was neglected. Besides, Tony had given his word to May that she could trust him.

“So?” Peter asked anxiously.

Tony unfolded the sheet of paper and began to read. At that moment, the door to the lab opened, revealing Steve carrying two steaming mugs that filled the room with the smell of coffee.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully.

“What's up, Cap?” Peter nodded slightly, but then turned his attention to the paper Tony was holding.

“Is everything all right, Tony?” Steve asked, still in a cheerful tone, handing one of the mugs to the engineer.

Tony took the mug automatically, but his attention was elsewhere, more precisely on the fact that Steve was wearing the underside of his uniform and an extremely tight blue thermal T-shirt that outlined every muscle in his chest, and _since when Steve had become such a sight?_

He blinked a few times and focused his vision on the soldier's face, who was looking at him with an amused expression.

_Focus, Stark._

Tony lifted the mug of hot coffee and smiled.

“Thank you, Stevie-pie. You know how to make my day better.”

"Does that mean you haven’t even gone to bed yet?"

"Let's not get caught up in the details, okay?"

Steve rolled his eyes and took a sip of his own mug.

“What's going on here?”

"We're about to find out if Pete here is ok to continue on the Avengers."

Peter smiled nervously at Steve, but eventually grimaced.

“Excuse me?” Steve asked.

"The results of my finals are out, and Mr. Stark asked them to be delivered to him here at the Tower, instead of delivering to me," Peter explained. "If I got well, I'm still on the team. If I failed, goodbye Avengers.”

Steve looked at Tony, who shrugged.

“That was our deal.”

"Please, Mr. Stark, curiosity is killing me."

"Patience is a virtue, boy," Tony said solemnly, but he read the paper in his hand again.

“So what’s the result?” Steve asked.

Tony looked at him.

“Even you?”

Steve shrugged.

"I like having Peter around."

"Thank you, Cap." Peter's smile was huge.

"Okay, okay," Tony said, getting up from the seat where he was sitting. "And the verdict is..." he stared at Peter seriously. “You've scored all your finals, which leaves you more than ok to stay here and remain an Avenger. Congratulations, kiddo.”

Peter jumped out of the chair and with a cry of "yes!" hugged Tony, almost knocking over coffee in everything.

"Hey, beware of the excitement," Tony said, but he hugged Peter back with his free arm.

“Thank you, Mr. Stark!”

"Don’t thank me. It was your effort.”

Peter pulled away, his eyes glittering.

"I'm going upstairs and call May to tell her the news. And ask her to send me the rest of my clothes.”

"You already knew the result would be that, didn’t you?" Steve asked after Peter had left.

Tony made his best innocent face.

“How could I? Who do you think I am, Nostradamus?”

"You may even try to dodge, but you’d never let Peter go and stay three months away."

"How can you be so sure?"

Steve smiled.

"Because you leave clues along the way when you care about someone, Tony.”

Before Tony could say anything, the Tower's alarm began to ring and they both rushed toward the elevator.

“Friday, what's going on?” Tony asked when the doors closed.

“A portal of unknown origin appeared on the 5th with 22nd East, near Madison Square Park,” Friday responded immediately.

"What's going out through this portal?"

"Nothing that I have in my database, boss.”

“Shit.”

“Where are the others?” Steve asked.

"On the way to the quinjet, Captain. Black Widow took the liberty of carrying your shield with her.”

“Great. Take us to the hangar, then.”

"Immediately, sir.”

Six seconds later the elevator doors opened to the hangar, where the quinjet was already on, the rear ramp lowered, waiting for the two.

"Thank you for bringing my shield, Nat," Steve smiled at her.

"No need to thanks," the spy waved back.

"Does anyone know what we're dealing with?" Tony asked as his nano-technological armor framed his body.

"Looks like we're being attacked by... giant-legged snakes?" Peter ventured, looking at the holographic screen projected by the table in the center of the quinjet.

"They are not giant snakes," Thor said quietly, leaning against his ax.

Everyone looked at him.

"Mind sharing the information with us?" Tony said in his already metallic voice behind the armor’s helmet.

“It's a hydra.”

“The Hydra?” Sam asked, shocked. "Since when did they have giant snakes in their arsenal?"

"Not the criminal organization called Hydra," Thor explained. "But the monster on which the Red Skull was inspired to baptize it.”

"And why is it attacking us?" Steve asked.

"I have no idea, Captain," Thor shrugged. "But I have fought this horrible monster with Hercules a few times in glorious battles.”

"Oh, how wonderful, so this time we were the chosen ones?” Clint said sarcastically.

“That is what it looks like, Hawkeye.”

"Landing in a minute," Natasha announced from the front of the quinjet.

“Any tips on how to end this thing?” Tony asked.

"As the saying goes, when one head of the hydra is cut off, two others shall take its place," Thor said. "Then cutting off the heads is not a good battle tactic.”

"You heard," Tony said, moving toward the back ramp that opened. "No more heads to grow. Only those four are already ugly enough.”

"Falcon, Spider-Man, get civilians out of the way," Steve commanded. "Hawkeye, Widow, attack the body and legs of the hydra. Thor, Hulk and Iron Man, attack the top of the monster and send it back through the portal as quickly as possible.”

"You heard the man," Clint said. "Move those powerful asses.”

Without further orders, they all headed to their positions, with Thor summoning his lightning to reach the first head and Hulk jumping toward the second and punching it hard. Tony focused his efforts on the third and fourth heads, launching his short-range missiles into its eyes and necks.

"Damn," he said when he realized that none of the missiles had penetrated the monster's thick skin. “Plan B.”

On the underside Clint, Natasha and Steve were no better. Natasha's widow bites didn’t even tickle the hydra's legs, the ropes Clint threw trying to catch them weren’t enough and Steve could do no more than irritate the monster by hitting his shield at pivot points.

"That's not doing much good," Clint pointed out the obvious.

"Falcon, Spider-Man, have civilians been evacuated?" Steve asked.

"We're on our way, Captain." Sam's voice appeared on the comms. "We made a web barricade, sealing the perimeter, and Redwing is on guard.”

“What do we do now?” Peter asked, landing next to Steve.

Steve paused for a moment and assessed the situation.

"You and Falcon go to the other side and help Widow and Hawkeye. We need to stop this thing.”

Tony watched from the top and realized that the soldier had turned his back on the hydra's left leg while talking to Peter.

“Die faster, stupid monster!” Hulk screamed and punched one of the heads, making the hydra unbalanced.

The monster shifted and Tony realized, with panic, that it would crush Steve when it lowered its leg to regain balance and that the soldier wouldn’t have time to get out of there. Diverting from a head that invested against him, Tony flew at full speed, all his sensors focused on Steve.

“Steve!” Tony shouted, catching the Captain's attention, which only had time to lift his shield above his head before Tony held him at the last moment. With the impact of hydra’s foot on the ground, they were thrown to the intersection of the 5th with the 23rd and fell in the middle of the traffic, forcing the vehicles to turn aside abruptly.

Tony landed abruptly, but no scan had detected concussions, fractures or any other problem. They were still in the middle of the street, but Tony ignored the horns. The important thing now was to know if Steve was all right. He looked down and met the soldier's eyes. Tony opened his faceplate and stared back at him.

“You alright?”

“Thanks to you.”

“It was nothing.”

"Still," Steve smiled softly. "Thank you.”

"I've gotten used to you getting me hot coffee every morning in the lab. I couldn’t let you get crushed." Tony shrugged and smirked.

"You could create a robot to do it for you."

"It wouldn’t be the same."

Tony realized that his arms were still around Steve, protective and possessive, that Steve was underneath him and that he hugged him back tightly and that neither seemed to care that this scene was happening in the middle of the day in New York.

"I'll remember that tomorrow morning," Steve said with a wink.

Tony's heart missed a beat.

“We need to get back there.”

_Because changing the subject is always the best option, Stark._

Steve blinked and his eyes darted away, as if he’d forgotten and only now remembered something.

“Yes, we do.”

“Come on, I'll give you a ride.”

Tony got up and held Steve by the hands, leading them back toward the hydra.

"Have you two finished dating?" Clint asked. "Because things are not very easy around here.”

"Shut up, Legolas," Tony said, landing Steve and analyzing the situation. "Yeah, we're really having quite a spanking.”

"Let's turn things over," Steve said. "Tony tried to hit missiles and it didn’t work..."

"Were you paying attention?" Tony asked, surprised.

"...I always pay attention to what you do," Steve said and Tony noticed Steve's neck turning red. A shudder of satisfaction swept over Tony's spine, and he insisted on ignoring all six pairs of glances watching the scene. "Anyway, as I was saying, let's reverse it. Falcon and Iron Man take Hawkeye and Black Widow to the heads and hit the soft points of them: eyes, inner part of the mouth, ears, anything. Thor, Hulk and Spider-Man hit the legs and unbalance the hydra. Drop it and we'll send this thing back through the portal."

"Hulk, the right leg is mine," Thor shouted cheerfully, striking a lightning bolt on the right foot of the hydra.

"I bet I knock my leg down first," Hulk said, punching the left leg.

"That's what we'll see," Thor said with a laugh.

"Hey, you guys, I got an idea," Peter said.

"Well, do it, young Arachnid." Thor ducked out hydra’s step.

"Hulk, hold this here." Peter gave the tip of the web for the Hulk. "Now throw me around the animal's legs.”

"No need to ask twice, Spidey,” Hulk smiled and held Peter by his feet and threw him like a ball around the hydra. A few laps later, Spider-Man's super-tough web had gripped the monster's legs, knocking it to its knees.

"Excellent, kid," Tony said flatly.

"Thor, take me upstairs, please," Steve said. "And let me in the head that aren’t being attacked."

“Aye, Captain.”

Natasha was suspended by Sam, attacking the eyes of one of the heads and one of them was already closed and bleeding horribly. Clint had closed the mouth of another head with a steel rope and hit an electric arrow in one of the eyes and one explosive in the other, and was already looking at the third head with the help of Tony.

“Stabilizes, Tin Man. I'm good, but you need to do your part.”

"Stop complaining, Katniss, or I'll send you back to District 12.”

"I'm gonna hide your can opener and you'll never get out of that armor again."

“Get off with that disgusting snake. Its breath is giving me a headache.”

Clint threw a lava arrow right in the middle of the third head's eyes, which let out a horrible scream, before the lava solidified on its way to the monster's mouth, which was silent.

"Three heads are gone. There's one missing," Sam said, past Tony and taking Natasha to the floor.

With a crash and a flashlight, the four heads fell. Thor and Steve landed next and Tony realized that they had done their "Vibranium Hammer" move when Thor simply hit Steve's shield with an extremely strong bolt of lightning and everything around was destroyed by impact. Fast and efficient.

"No more," Steve said. "Let's take this hydra away and close that portal.”

Tony and Thor raised the monster from the ground and Hulk gave the impulse that was needed to send the hydra back to the Greek world from where it had come and with a powerful lightening, Thor hit the portal, closing it.

"We did it," Peter said with a smile in his voice.

"But why did this thing end here?" Clint asked, wiping a sticky patch of hydra blood from his arm.

"I will have a word with Hercules to see if he knows anything about the exit of the hydra from the Tartarus," Thor said. "These events do not usually foretell good news for the Greeks.”

"And apparently not even to us," Natasha said.

“Aye. I will be back with you soon, my friends." Thor nodded and looked up. "Heimdall, portal!” A large interdimensional tunnel colored with the colors of the rainbow appeared from the sky and sucked Thor into space, disappearing soon after.

"Nice way to travel," Peter commented.

"I prefer the good old quinjet," Clint said. "It makes you less sick."

"And how many times have you traveled in Heimdall’s portals?" Natasha raised an eyebrow.

“Once. And it was enough for me not to want to repeat the experience.”

"Ladies and gentlemen, the mighty Hawkeye," Sam laughed.

“I'd rather _skilled,_ ” Clint said, going to the quinjet.

"And it's not even noon," Tony commented.

"Imagine what the rest of the day holds," Natasha said.

“Hopefully a day of rest and good ideas in the lab.”

“Today, maybe.”

Tony turned and saw Steve approaching, his hand on his ear.

“What do you mean?”

"Fury scheduled a meeting with us tomorrow at the Tower," Steve said.

"Ah, is it a joke?"

"No, I just talked to him," Steve shrugged. "He wants to share some information from S.H.I.E.L.D. about A.I.M., Hydra, and it looks like the Leader is moving. And he also wants reports on our latest missions.”

"We could’ve passed this to him without a face-to-face meeting," Natasha said.

“We're talking about Fury. Who knows his reasons for it?”

"Fine," Tony grimaced. "My day just got less good. Let's go home. Every minute lost here is a minute not spent doing something fun until the Fury arrives.”

"But meeting him is just tomorrow," Steve said.

"When you least expect it, Steve, dear, Nick Fury and his eye patch will be knocking on our door, and then, goodbye, quiet time."

Steve shook his head, but he smiled.

"Okay, Mr. Dramatic, complain in the quinjet.”

"Dramatic, I?" Tony pretended to be offended, but he was amused by the nickname. "I'm just pointing out the facts.” He, Steve, and Natasha entered the quinjet, and Sam and Clint piloted the ship back to the Tower not far from there.

Before they even landed, Tony had already retracted his armor and waited at the edge of the back ramp.

"Friday, prepare my lab and the stabilizer. I'm going to work on it today.”

"Everything's on and waiting for you, boss."

As soon as the quinjet landed, Tony was the first to leave, heading straight to the lab without speaking to anyone. The rest of the team split: Clint, Hulk, and Natasha went to their rooms and Steve, Peter, and Sam went into the kitchen.

"What do you want for lunch?" Steve asked, leaving the shield at the side of the elevator, taking off his gloves, helmet, and the top of his uniform, wearing only the blue thermal T-shirt, pants, and boots.

"How about that incredible pasta you made the other day, Cap?" Peter suggested, pulling back his uniform of nano particles.

“The one with broccoli?” Sam asked, lifting his glasses and putting them on his head.

"That one," Peter said, running his hand over his belly. "It was divine.”

"Alright, pasta with broccoli for lunch," Steve said with a grin. "Will you help me, Pete?"

“Of course! What do you need, Captain?”

“Wash your hands and then get flour, eggs, salt and olive oil in the pantry. I'll get the rest.”

“Right away.”

"And I do what?" Sam asked.

"You can rest if you want," Steve said. "We have everything under control here, don’t worry."

"Good, because I'm good at many things, but cooking is not one of them," Sam said getting up. "I'm going to take a shower and I'll be back soon.”

"I'll have Friday tell you when lunch is ready."

"Thank you," Sam smiled and headed for the elevator.

Peter came back with his arms full of ingredients and put them all on the counter.

“And now?”

Steve picked up a bowl and a set of measuring spoons in the cupboard and placed it in front of Peter.

"Now put three cups of flour into the bowl, three tablespoons of salt, and then break the eggs and mix slowly."

“What's that for?”

"We’re gonna make the pasta."

Peter's eyes widened.

“Really?”

Steve smiled.

“Really. Start doing this while I'm going to get the ingredients for the sauce.” Steve went to the pantry, got the nutmeg, the onion, the milk, and went back to the kitchen to get the butter and broccoli in the refrigerator. He put everything on the counter next to Peter. “How's it going?”

“I guess so far so good?” Peter winced when the answer came out as a question.

Steve laughed.

“It's great. Now use these muscles and knead the dough with your hands until it forms a ball. When this happens, throw some flour on the counter and put the dough on the counter, without stopping kneading.”

“All right.”

While Peter kneaded the mixture, Steve began to wash the broccoli and chop onion. It was a meticulous work and the two worked quietly for some time.

“Hey, Cap?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

"Have you already had any love problems?"

Steve almost cut himself with the knife he was using to chop the onion. He thought a little before answering and decided to tell the truth. _Let's see where this will go._

“Yeah.”

"And you managed to solve them?"

Steve thought a little more.

"At first I thought so, but things aren’t always so easy.”

“What happened?”

Steve blew out the air.

"For a long time I tried to ignore that what I felt was love, but in the end we need to stop running from the truth and face it.”

"And you did it?" Steve felt Peter staring at him, but he didn’t look back. "Have you faced your problem?"

"Maybe face it isn’t the best word," Steve sighed. "I've been staring at it every day for years.”

"What did you do then?"

"I _assumed_ for myself what I always felt, and that, in a way, made things easier.”

"So now you and the other person are ok?" Steve could hear the smile in Peter's voice.

"The other person has no idea it's become my love problem."

"Oh... I'm sorry, Cap.”

Steve finally turned to look at him.

"Don’t be." He smiled. "Sometimes it's better this way, to admire from a distance.” Steve shrugged. "But what about you? You didn’t start this conversation for nothing.”

Peter turned red.

"Maybe I understand better than I’d like this whole thing of admire from afar."

“Really?”

"Yeah... There's this new girl in school, she got transferred from somewhere else, but she's amazing, you know? Smart, funny, beautiful... but I'm not sure how to get to her.”

"Are you friends already?"

“Kinda. She is part of the academic decathlon group, but we never talked much more out of there.”

"Maybe it's time for you to improve on this and call this girl to do something other than the decathlon, right?" Steve winked.

"I really wanna do it, Cap, but I lack courage." Peter blushed again.

"Spider-Man lacking courage?"

"Not Spider-Man. Peter Parker.”

“They are the same person.”

Peter frowned.

"They aren’t, no. Spider-Man is an Avenger.”

"If it weren’t for Peter Parker, Spider-Man wouldn’t even get out of bed in the morning." Steve put an arm around Peter's shoulder. "Listen, if there's one thing that my whole history with _my_ love problem taught me is that we shouldn’t wait too long, because we may regret not having tried before. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Go talk to this girl, okay?"

Peter smiled slightly.

“Okay, I’ll try.”

"That's great," Steve smiled. "Does this lucky lady have a name?"

"Gwen." Peter blushed again. "Gwen Stacy.”

"Pretty name." Steve walked away. "Seriously, go talk to her. Now let's finish our pasta.”

Little did Steve know that his advice wasn’t only for a confused teenage Avenger, but also for a founding member of the Avengers who, by a happy chance, overheard all the conversation sitting in his lab, and now he had, not only the answers he needed, but also many other questions.

____________________________________________________________ 

The day passed without further surprises. The lunch prepared by Peter and Steve received rave reviews from everyone except Tony who didn’t come up for lunch and didn’t even show up in the communal area of the penthouse at any time of the day.

"Boss, they're asking if you're not going upstairs to socialize," Friday eventually asked in the late afternoon.

"No," Tony replied, his face tucked into a design for a new suit for Wanda, by the time she returned.

"Captain Rogers is asking if everything is alright.”

“Say yes.”

"He keeps asking if he can come down."

Tony remembered the conversation between Steve and Peter that he heard earlier.

"No, he can’t.”

"He's asking why, boss."

“Tell him I'm busy.”

"That never stopped Captain Rogers from coming down here before.”

Tony lifted his head and ran his hand through his hair, exhausted.

"Just tell him I'm _really_ busy right now, okay? Tell him I'll talk to him later.”

“As you wish.”

Tony heaved the air heavily. He was busy. _Very_ busy, but not with what Steve or anyone else up there could think of. Tony's mind was filled with the conversation he had heard.

_"For a long time I tried to ignore that what I felt was love, but in the end we need to stop running from the truth and face it.”_

Finally. The right words had been said, the feelings had been transcribed. It was finally time to admit and put a name on things. Because that was exactly how Tony felt. There it was.  


In recent days, since the mission in Alaska, Tony had been thinking a lot about his relationship with Steve since they met and he’d realized that he’d never related to others as he relates to Steve. He never reacted to others as he reacts to Steve. And unconsciously, during all this time, he neglected all these effects, but something has changed. Steve has changed, although Tony doesn’t know why. How could that phrase have come from Steve's mouth, but not from his mouth?

_"The other person has no idea it has become my love problem."_

Steve has no idea he has become _my_ love problem. _God, when did things get so complicated?_

When think about Steve turned on butterflies in Tony's stomach? _Wait... to know when really matters?_

_“We shouldn’t wait too long, because we may regret not having tried before."_

That was the answer, wasn’t it? That was why. They both waited too long, the two of them denied too much, and the two of them almost lost each other forever. That was the turning point. Tony only took longer to realize. And to admit it for himself.

 _It must be a factory defect,_ he thought with a laugh.

With Pepper, it was like that, years of coexistence until he had the courage to admit that there was a feeling. It is a pity that the feeling itself was of pure brotherly love than romantic love. It’d never have worked out anyway. Thankfully, they both realized that in time to keep the friendship alive and strong enough for Pepper to continue in Tony's life and in the leadership of Stark Industries. The two worked much better that way.

But Tony's heart never slowed when Steve was around since he was a kid when his father told him the stories of the great Captain America and things only got worse when Tony met the real Captain, the man behind mask, Steve Rogers, the most amiable, intelligent, witty, righteous and strong man who ever lived.

“Boss?” Friday called and Tony jumped out of his chair.

“Wow, Friday, you scared me!”

"I didn’t mean to frighten you, boss."

"Then what was your intention?"

"Just let you know that all the other Avengers have gone to sleep."

“What?" Tony looked one of the monitors in front of him. "What time is it?"

"Two in the morning, sir.”

“God, I was thinking for about...”

"Three hours and twenty-six minutes."

"Were you counting?"

“It's what I do,” it was possible to detect a shrug in AI's voice.

Tony rubbed his eyes and stretched.

“Very well. Save the progress of today's work. I'm going upstairs and have some coffee and I'll be back soon.”

"You should rest for a while."

"And you should take care of your life."

"I can do that and take care of you, too."

"Did I program you to be petulant like that?"

“Yes, boss.”

Tony grunted and left the lab and went up to the penthouse.

"Friday, lights twenty percent, please."

The penthouse glowed softly enough for Tony to see the way from the elevator to the kitchen, where he went straight to the huge coffee machine and poured himself a mug of boiling coffee and took a sip without waiting for it to cool enough.

"Elixir of the gods," he said into the darkness.

Already at the end of the first mug, he looked at the refrigerator and found a note stuck to the door. Since the lights weren’t strong enough to see from that distance, Tony came over, took the piece of paper and couldn’t help but smile.

_"I left a plate of pasta for you inside the microwave. You can’t live only by coffee._  
_Steve."_

Tony went to the microwave, opened the oven door, and there really was a pasta dish topped with béchamel sauce and broccoli. Tony's stomach growled.

"It won’t hurt to try." 

Tony pressed a few buttons and the microwave came alive, heating the plate. A few seconds later, Tony was sitting on the counter beside a glass of water, with the plate in one hand, a fork in the other, and eating as if there were no tomorrow.

_This is delicious. Steve, you nailed it._

Suddenly the elevator door opened, startling Tony, who needed half a glass of water to recover and send the food in the right place.

"Hi, Tony," Steve greeted sleepily.

Tony coughed a few more times to save time. He wasn’t expecting to see Steve today, at least not at this time, with his beautifully messy hair, wearing a Stark Industries T-shirt at least a smaller number than ideal, bare feet and sweatpants, revealing his v-line. Tony swallowed hard and forced himself to look into Steve's eyes.

 _Not that it's a much better change,_ he thought. _Oh, whatever. Let's see where it goes._

“Good night, Stevie-pie. What are you doing awake?”

Steve rubbed his eyes.

"I had a… _strange_ dream." He shifted uncomfortably. "And I needed some water.”

Tony set the empty plate on the counter and watched the man in front of him.

"What kind of dream? A nightmare?” Tony knew nightmares were not only frequent as they were expected, doing what they did. And Steve used to have some of the most disturbing.

The soldier shook his head and went to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water.

"No, no nightmare this time." He took a sip of water.

Tony narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, come on, aren’t you going to tell me about the dream that made you wake up?"

Even with the low lighting, Tony could see Steve turning red and it lighted up a warning light on his head. _Nightmares don’t make anyone blush._

"I... I dreamed about you," Steve ended up saying.

Tony felt his eyes widen.

“Oh, really?” He smiled wickedly. "And what was I doing in that dream of yours, Stevie?"

If it were possible, Tony would’ve said that Steve had gotten even redder and, God, how cute he looked in that embarrassed way.

“Nothing else happened, okay?” Steve took another long sip of his water with his eyes closed, clearly trying to calm down.

"Fine, if you say so," Tony said with a small smile.

Steve looked at him.

“You ate it.”

Tony looked at him abruptly.

_"What?"_

"The pasta I left for you." Steve pointed to the empty plate on the counter. "You ate it.”

Tony let out a heavy sigh. _I don’t know if I can handle another one of that, gosh._

“Yes, I did.”

Steve came back to Tony, facing him. Tony felt his heart race.

“Did you like it?”

“It was delicious.”

"Good." Steve played with the label on the bottle, still looking at Tony, saying nothing for a while. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, but it wasn’t pleasant either. Tony wanted something to happen, for him to say something, to _do_ something. But in the end, Steve just smiled tiredly and said, "See you in the morning, Tony, in the meeting with Fury.”

Steve was already outside the kitchen when Tony's body came to life.

“Steve?”

He turned, and in an action that would make him think hard for the next few hours, Tony came down from the counter, crossed the short distance between them and, standing on his tiptoes, hugged the soldier by the neck. It took a fraction of a second for Tony to hear the water bottle fall on the floor and he felt Steve's hands around him, large and warm, pulling him close.  


With a sigh he couldn’t - and didn’t want to - hold, Tony tucked his face into the curve of Steve's neck and felt his fresh bath scent and Steve, and a shiver ran down Tony's spine. Steve came up and ran his hands up and down Tony's back, all the shame of a few minutes ago gone. He pulled away enough to kiss beneath Tony's ear, that inspired loudly and tightened his arms around Steve, who continued to leave a trail of kisses from the ear to the base of Tony's neck and then came back doing the reverse.

If it were possible, Tony's heart would already have come out of his chest so fast it was beating and Tony had lost track of everything around. He just felt Steve's body glued to his, Steve's hands trailing behind his back possessively and Steve's mouth reaching into his ear once more to tear a groan out of him as Steve bit his ear lobe and smiled.

"Good night, Tony." He kissed Tony's face, bent down, picked up the water bottle and disappeared into the elevator, leaving Tony in the middle of the penthouse, with empty arms, dizzy, aroused as hell and completely fucked, because it was a fact, he thought, running his fingers through his hair:

 _I'm_ really _falling for Steve Rogers._  



	4. This is not a bluff

Nick Fury was always punctual when it came to starting their meetings and that day wasn't different.

The Avengers were gathered in the meeting room, all seated around the large oval table, holding their tablets with the secret files of S.H.I.E.L.D. brought by Fury on A.I.M., Hydra and the Leader, all part of the main presentation he had left in standby mode on the huge holographic screen at the narrow end of the table.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. director looked at his watch and frowned.

“Where's Stark? I don’t have all day.”

Steve glanced at the chair in front of him, on Fury’s opposite end, where the table narrowed, and sighed.

"We haven’t heard from him. He asked Friday to not let anyone bother him.”

"And she's extremely efficient at obeying Tony's orders whenever she wants," Natasha observed.

"Thank you, Agent Romanoff," Friday said.

"That's ridiculous," Fury folded his arms in front of his body. "I need all of you here.”

"Give it up, Fury," Clint said, turning an arrow between his fingers. "When Tony decides to get stuck in his cave, no one can get him out if he doesn’t want to."

Fury squeezed the bridge of his nose and let the air out.

“Very well. Let's start without him. Friday?”

“Yes, Director Fury?”

"Let Tony know we've already started, and for him to come right here or I'll go to that lab myself and I’ll pick him up, and he won’t like my methods."

“As you wish, sir.”

“Please, open the A.I.M. file. Let's start with it.”

The image of a mountain appeared on the holographic screen behind Fury, and a report of more than thirty pages, with charts and maps, appeared on Steve's tablet screen as he touched the "A.I.M." icon.

"This is a new A.I.M. base we have recently discovered," Fury said, pointing to the screen behind him. "As you can see on the map you have there, this base is on Rwanda's border with Congo at the foot of Mount Bisoke, a volcano.”

“Why can’t they ever choose a paradise beach in the Philippines? Or in the Caribbean?” Clint commented frowning at his tablet. Fury ignored him.

"Our intelligence has information that the bomb you destroyed in Alaska wasn’t the only one they had. In fact...”

At that moment the door to the meeting room opened and Tony came in smiling, wearing a kneaded black T-shirt, black sweatpants and bare feet, and with his hands raised, apologizing.

"Sorry for the delay." His eyes traveled across the table, but he avoided Steve's, deliberately. _Not yet._ "Please don’t stop to look at me. Keep doing what you were doing.”

"Sit down, Stark," Fury said in a controlled voice. "And be quiet, please.”

Tony ran his fingers through his mouth, as if sealing them, and sat down in the only vacant place, facing Steve. Still avoiding the soldier's gaze, which Tony could feel burning on his skin, he took the tablet from the table and looked at Fury with a look of interest.

Fury looked at Tony for a few more seconds, and after convincing himself that the engineer was really paying attention, he went back to the new A.I.M. base.

"Like I said, it looks like they have another bomb than that one you destroyed in Alaska. And this one is even more powerful, with a greater power of destruction.”

“How much greater?” Thor asked.

“If the other could sink the west coast of Canada, this one could sink half of Canada without any effort.”

"Actually, it's a lot bigger," Sam agreed.

Suddenly Tony's tablet vibrated in his hands and he looked down. The screen was flashing a request for an encrypted communication channel, outside the S.H.I.E.L.D. radars.

_What the hell is this?_

Ignoring Fury's talk about A.I.M., Tony opened the secret communication channel and found a message:

**S1: I thought you wouldn’t come.**

Tony frowned. S1? What was that? Was anyone else receiving that message? He glanced up to make sure that someone else was as confused as he was when his eyes finally found Steve’s, which was shining. The soldier looked at his own tablet and back at Tony, who felt his stomach twist when he understood.

 _Steve opened the encrypted channel._ Tony's mind began to work frantically. _The chances of being discovered are little._ He looked back at Steve who was staring at him intensely behind his long eyelashes. Tony's body shuddered. _This is gonna be interesting._ He glanced at Fury and nodded, pretending to pay attention. _This meeting just became_ extremely _interesting._

**T2: I had nothing better to do.**

**S1: Did you sleep well?**

**T2: You should know by now that I don’t sleep... Especially after yesterday.**

Tony looked away from the screen and looked up in time to see Steve's reaction as he read his message, the quick inspiration and his Adam's apple going up and down was more than enough for Tony to realize he was on the right track.

**T2: Did you sleep well?**

**S1: I didn’t close my eyes all night.**

**T2: And why?**

**S1: Because I could only think of you.**

It was Tony's turn to swallow. _Damn it! Is this really happening?_

**T2: Really?**

**S1: Yes.**

**T2: Anything specific?**

**S1: How I wanted to finish that kiss trail.**

_Oh. My. God._

Tony looked away from the tablet and looked at Fury, who was still talking, but now the image behind him was of a fenced plain with a cow raising on it, but Tony had no idea what Fury was talking about. It could be about the next alien invasion or it could be about the best milking techniques. It'd have the same effect on him. Tony nodded thoughtfully, as if he were seriously considering whatever Fury was talking about and looked back at the tablet.

**T2: Maybe you should finish it.**

His gaze met Steve's, and he had never seen _that_ look staring back at him. _Pure desire_ was the name of that look. Tony slowly licked his lips and Steve's reaction was instantaneous: his pupils dilated and his eyes followed, avidly, the movement of his tongue, as a hunter follows the prey's movements.

 _Thank goodness the table is not transparent,_ Tony thought, because he was already one step away from having an extremely embarrassing boner there, right in the middle of a meeting of the Avengers with Nick Fury.

**S1: Don’t tease me, Stark.**

_You shouldn’t have said that,_ Tony thought mischievously.

Still pretending to pay attention, he lifted his arms, stretching himself and slid into the chair, resting his neck on the backrest and leaving his butt on the edge of the seat.

“Stark!” He heard Fury calling his name.

“Hmmm?” Tony turned his head slowly, a little smile on his lips.

"You could at least take it seriously."

"Oh, Fury, but I'm taking. I'm taking more than you realize.”

Fury narrowed his eyes, but start talking again about the pasture with cows. Tony pulled his chair close to the table and, leaning on one of his feet, used the other to find Steve's leg, which only God knows how he managed to disguise the fright with a cough. The soldier looked surprised at Tony, who smirked and continued to explore Steve's leg with his foot. He reached the knee and slipped his foot down Steve's thigh, all the while staring at each other, completely oblivious to what was going on around them, trapped in their own bubble.

Tony's foot reached the end of Steve's thigh and stopped as he felt the volume beneath the cloth. Steve held the tablet tightly and took a deep breath. Tony licked his lips again, and saw the soldier’s chest rise and fall quickly.

_God, this is deliciously maddening._

Tony turned his attention back to the tablet.

**T2: I think you want more than just finishing that kiss trail...**

**S1: I always wanted you.**

For the first time in a long time Tony's brain stopped. It was more than a "I'm horny _now_ ". That was exactly what it was: "I _always_ wanted you." This was another level of desire.

_And I always wanted you too._

There. It was done. If he really had to admit it, he didn’t need anymore.

_I always wanted this man sitting right in front of me._

Slowly Tony slid his foot back and straightened in his chair.

**T2: Why didn’t you never say anything before?**

The answer didn’t come so quickly and neither was what Tony expected.

**S1: Because you always seemed so... unreachable, so perfect, and I never imagined you could feel the same.**

**T2: I just look perfect, Steve.**

Tony saw Steve smile slightly.

**S1: And it was only when I really met you, not the Tony from the magazine covers, but the real Tony Stark, that I allowed myself to assume that I loved you, not only because of the many qualities of yours, but because of your flaws. But I also accepted that I’d need to love you from afar.**

Tony felt his eyes burn and warm. _Steve Rogers is telling he really loves me?_

**T2: You could’ve asked...**

**S1: Whenever I thought of saying something, something else happened: Hydra, Ultron, then the whole thing with the Sokovia Accords... Thanos. It seemed like a warning from the Universe telling me never to say anything.**

Tony snorted and remembered in time that he needed to disguise, then coughed.

**T2: But something has changed.**

**S1: After Thanos, you almost disappearing in Alaska was the closest I got to losing you again. There I realized that I had already lost too much time without saying anything and that I could no longer risk losing you without ever saying anything. Without having at least trying. So I decided to start dropping some hints.**

**T2: Not so subtle...**

**S1: I was a little impatient.**

Tony looked at Steve, who shrugged and smiled. How beautiful he was. And he was in love with Tony. What were the odds?

**T2: Well, better late than never, right?**

**S1: Finally.**

Tony smiled.

**T2: Finally.**

"Mind telling us what's so funny, Stark?" Tony heard Fury ask and forced himself to look away from Steve, who smiled beautifully at him.

The pasture with the cows was still on the screen behind Fury, and Tony clasped his fingers in front of his body, framing Fury and the holographic screen.

"I'm just here thinking that if your job as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t work, you'd make a great farmer, Fury.”

Everyone around the table, including Natasha, started laughing. Fury put his hands on his waist and frowned.

“Really? I'm here trying to talk about Hydra's plans for building their new headquarters and that's what you have to add?”

Tony shrugged.

"I thought it might be a pertinent observation. Don’t be so upset, Old MacDonald.”

This caused another wave of laughter at the table and an extremely irritated Nick Fury. Tony met Steve's gaze and wasn’t surprised to see the soldier watching him. Steve took the tablet and started typing.

**S1: You are incorrigible.**

**T2: And that's how you like me.**

Tony smiled crookedly and winked at Steve over his own tablet.

**T2: Besides, at least now we know what they were talking about.**

Steve smiled.

**S1: I think we should really pay attention to what he's talking about.**

**T2: Why do you have to be so by the book?**

**S1: Because that's how you like me.**

Tony narrowed his eyes. _Not so fast, soldier._

**T2: I don't think that soldiers so by the book go around biting earlobes in the dead of night.**

Steve smirked.

**S1: I have my surprises.**

**T2: And there’s more from where that came from?**

**S1: You can’t imagine.**

Tony’s mouth watered. So that was his end. That was how it all ended for the great Tony Stark: getting mad for Captain America, with his head over heels for Steve Rogers.  
And he didn’t regret it at all.

_______________________________________

Unfortunately for Tony, that fucking meeting lasted almost all day. How Fury managed to extend three seemingly simple matters and two mission reports for hours, no one was able to say. And he still boasted that he was an efficient special agent.

Tony hoped he could leave that room with Steve and go somewhere private, preferably his room, or Steve's, he didn’t care for exclusivity in that sense, but instead, Fury made a point of talking to Steve and Natasha after the meeting and Tony got a call from Pepper, as if she knew exactly what time Fury would finish speaking.

"Pepper, my dear, what do you have for me?" Tony asked, stepping out of the meeting room after giving a meaningful look to Steve, who turned red, behind Fury's back.

“Meet in two days in Dubai.” The voice of the Stark Industries CEO was friendly, but her tone was full of apologies. “They want you.”

Tony moaned.

"Can’t be you? I don’t even show up around anymore.”

"I tried, but the investors want the _real_ Tony Stark," Tony could almost hear the quotation marks she was making on the other end of the line.

"Is this business very important?"

“It's an investment of two hundred million dollars in renewable energy.”

Tony whistled.

“Wow.”

“Wow indeed. That's why it's so important for you to go.”

Tony ran a hand through his hair and sighed, defeated.

“All right. Get the company jet ready, okay? And ask Happy to stop by to give me a ride.”

"Be ready for today at midnight."

Tony grunted.

" _What?_ Why so fast?"

"It's a twelve-hour flight, Tony. And I know you long enough to know how long your jet lag lasts. I need you to be completely focused and presentable at this meeting.”

"I'm always presentable, Pep.”

"You forgot the focused part," she answered without hesitation. “Midnight. Don’t be late.”

And she hung up the phone. _Damn it._ That was a bad time for a trip like that. At least four days just now that a super soldier had declared himself to him. Life was so unfair.

 _Or not,_ Tony thought suddenly. _I'm gonna be back on Steve's birthday eve._

More perfect, impossible.

“Hey, Tony.”

Tony turned and saw Steve and Natasha coming toward him.

_Speaking of the devil..._

"Hey, my darling." Tony smiled at him. "I thought Fury had already sucked your souls and that there was no hope anymore.”

"He tried." Natasha smirked.

"What are you gonna do now?" Tony asked, more for politeness than anything else. He had very specific plans that included a certain blond, blue-eyed man, who was right in front of him and...

"We're gonna order some pizzas," Steve said with a smirk as he saw Tony's expression wither. "And play some poker." He touched Tony's arm and squeezed lightly, sending messages not at all appropriate for that time of the day through Tony's body. “You are invited.”

Tony narrowed his eyes.

"You have no idea what you're doing. I practically founded Vegas.”

Natasha patted him on the shoulder.

“We'll see, Mr. I founded Vegas.”

Tony looked at Steve.

"What are you betting on?"

Steve blinked a few times, confused.

"We won’t bet on anything. We’ll play for play.”

Tony stepped forward, leaving only a fair bit of air between them. Steve's breathing quickened.

"Oh, Stevie, sweetheart, what would be the fun of poker without the bets?"

The soldier narrowed his eyes.

“What do you suggest?”

 _Oh, very well,_ Tony thought, having an idea. _Do you wanna play? Let's play._

"If I beat you, you let me throw a birthday party for you and you'll love every second of it."

Steve frowned.

“Fine.”

Tony smiled his most beautiful smile and that was enough to break Steve, who smiled slightly.

"Your turn," Tony said.

Steve's eyes flashed.

"If I beat you, you give me one of your weekends."

Tony frowned.

“I’m sorry?”

"If I win, you'll give me a whole weekend with you alone, without lab, without Tower, without Friday, with nothing. Just you and me somewhere.”

Tony's heart quickened. A weekend alone with Steve... _wow!_ Tony already knew where they were going, the perfect place, away from everything and everyone, incommunicable, just the two of them. The image was so incredible that the idea of losing to Steve was tempting. But Tony had other plans.

He stood on tiptoe and kissed Steve's face.

“Done. May the best win.”

And he walked down the hallway before he stopped being able to control himself.

“Where are you going?” Steve asked, far away.

"Take a cold shower before the pizza arrives," Tony shouted over his shoulder, not turning around.

Half an hour later Friday warned that the pizzas had arrived and that Natasha had already prepared the cards on the center table in the living room of the penthouse.

“Very well. Time to win a bet.”

As soon as Tony got out of the elevator, the smell of pizza took over all his senses and his stomach growled.

"Please tell me there's pepperoni pizza somewhere in this stack." Tony pointed to a huge stack of boxes on the kitchen counter.

"We have pepperoni, extra cheese, bacon and mushrooms," Natasha said, already sitting on the floor behind the center table in the penthouse's living room. “Pepperoni are the top boxes.”

"Great," Tony said, opening the first box and taking a very well topped slice and taking a bite. He groaned. "It's perfect.”

"So let's get this game started." Clint rubbed his hands and sat down on the floor next to Natasha. "I'm feeling like it's my night tonight.”

"Don’t look so confident, Katniss," Tony said with his mouth full and sat down next to Clint. "I don’t mean to lose tonight.”

 _I have a lot at stake today,_ Tony thought.

“Speaking of which,” Tony looked around. “Where’s Steve?”

Clint shrugged and bit into a slice of pizza he was holding. At that moment, as if waiting for the right time, the elevator door opened and Steve stepped out of there, freshly bathed, with his hair still damp on his forehead, bare feet, wearing black shorts and a blue T-shirt.

 _Extremely simple, extremely handsome,_ Tony thought without being able to look away from the soldier, who had gone to get a slice of pepperoni pizza and gave a nice bite.

 _I never thought I'd ever be jealous of a slice of pizza,_ Tony finished his own slice and got up to get one more. On his way, he realized that Thor, Peter and Hulk _(when was the last time I saw Bruce around here?)_ were sitting a little further away playing video games and Sam was sitting on the couch behind Natasha.

"Only the four of us are gonna play?" He asked the spy.

“Sam doesn’t know how to play,” Natasha shrugged. “And the three kids there prefer video game. So yes. It's just the four of us.”

"I'm going to watch it and learn to play next time," Sam said.

"Good luck," Clint told him.

"I'll get another slice of pizza and come back to start," Tony said as he headed for the kitchen.

 _Of course it's just to get another pizza,_ Tony smiled mentally.

He opened the first box and set it aside when he saw that it was empty. He opened the second, took a slice, took a bite, and looked to the other side, meeting Steve's gaze. Well, maybe finding is not the right word because the soldier's eyes were fixed on Tony's mouth.

"You know," Tony said after swallowing. "It's a blessing and a curse that discretion is not your thing."

Steve blinked, and finally their eyes met.

“What do you mean?”

"It’s extremely easy to read, to know what you're thinking, and that's good for me."

Steve approached for another slice of pizza, but didn’t move away. Instead, he kept his eyes on Tony.

“Really?”

Tony’s mouth watered with the tempting proximity and took another bite of his slice. Steve's gaze flew to his mouth and returned to his eyes.

“Really.”

"What am I thinking now?"

"That would be great if there was no one else here so you could finish that kiss trail," Tony smiled crookedly.

“It seems I _really_ am easy to read,” Steve smiled, but the smile faded quickly and he frowned.

 _Emergency lights will light up in case of panic,_ was what Tony's brain showed as a neon sign. Why did he stop smiling?

“What is it?”

"I'm just thinking it's a shame I won’t be able to finish that trail," Steve said.

“And why’s that?” Tony's heart quickened uncomfortably. _Keep your expression neutral._ But of course it was all too good to be true, wasn’t it? It was all a dream in his head.

"Because you're going to Dubai today, then nothing done," Steve shrugged.

Tony let out the air so heavily that it even frightened him. _Panic attack for no reason, then. We are fine._

“How d’you know?”

"I asked Friday if you had plans for after poker,” Steve's neck turned red and Tony couldn’t help but smile. “And she told me about the trip. How many days?”

"Not more than four." Tony shrugged trying to sound unconcerned, but desperately wanting the man in front of him. How could Steve be so cute and sexy at the same time? 

"Pepper needs me to sign a major deal."

"Still are a lot of days.”

"I'll be back in time for your birthday party," Tony teased.

Steve narrowed his eyes.

"There's not gonna be a party."

Tony smiled.

"If depends on me, yes, it will."

“That's what we'll see.”

"Make your best, Rogers.”

"Make your best, Stark.”

They left the kitchen and returned to the living room, sitting on the floor on the soft rug, around the coffee table, Tony next to Clint, Steve next to Natasha.

"I've had a beard almost as long as Thor's waiting for you," Clint complained. "What were you whispering there?"

"If you were supposed to know, Merida, we wouldn’t have whispered, would we?” Tony said, finishing the slice of pizza in his hand.

"I'm going to have a little talk with the Wizard of Oz, and tell him not to listen to your wishes, because you're very naughty, Tin Man."

"Say whatever you want, to whoever you want, Robin Hood," Tony leaned back on the couch behind him and stretched his legs under the table reaching Steve, who was sitting on the other side. An almost imperceptible smile appeared in the corner of the soldier's mouth as he placed his hand on Tony's foot and began to stroke it, climbing up Tony's pants as far as the hand was able to reach and returning and doing again, without the others noticing. Tony's whole body shivered deliciously. "But all my wishes _have already been_ answered.”

"I think we should start playing," Natasha said.

"I think it's a great idea," Steve said, still stroking Tony's leg under the table. “Nat, be the dealer?”

The spy smiled.

"No problem." She picked up the deck, shuffled it with professional skill, and looked at Clint. "Clint, small blind, okay?”

"Okay." The archer nodded, separating his chips.

She then looked pointedly at Steve.

"You. First, put your other hand on the table, too." Natasha raised an eyebrow and looked at Tony, then returned to Steve. The message was clear: _I know exactly what is happening here, do not insult my intelligence._ Tony cleared his throat and Steve was adorably red, but he took his hand from Tony's leg and placed it cross-lacedly on the table politely. "Great." Natasha smiled, and then looked at Tony. "You, big blind.”

"All right," Tony said, picking up his stack of chips.

"The rest is as usual," Natasha said. "All ready?"

Everyone around the table nodded, including Sam, who was watching perched on the couch behind Natasha.

"Then start, Clint," she said.

Clint then placed two chips on the table, followed by Tony, who bet four chips.

"Let's start with things friendly, huh?" Tony remarked.

"For now," Clint said.

Natasha then gave the pocket cards, one at a time, to each of them, totaling two. Tony looked at his cards: a three of diamonds and an ace of spades.

 _There's not much we can do about it now,_ Tony thought, _but let's make the most of it. A birthday party is at stake here._

He watched the other three players, all incredibly impassive, with no expression on their faces.

 _They would break Vegas if they wanted to,_ Tony thought with a small smile.

Steve started by betting four chips. Natasha kept the bet on four chips, Clint only put two more and Tony didn’t bet anything, perks of big blind.

Natasha then took the main deck again, discarded the first card from the top and opened three cards in the center of the table, a three of spades, a three of hearts and a ten of diamonds. Tony looked back at his two opening cards and cheered a little. With his three of diamonds plus three of spades and the three of hearts open at the table, he already had a three of a kind.

_Things have begun to improve._

Clint then bet four more chips. Tony called and placed four of his chips in the center of the table. His game could still improve, he could feel it. Steve also called by placing four chips in the amount in the center of the table. Tony watched with a raised eyebrow. _Is it possible that he really has a worthwhile game?_

Natasha also called and stayed in the game. Without showing any emotion, the spy again discarded the first card in the deck and opened another card in the center of the table, a jack of clubs, starting a new round.

Tony looked at that jack in disgust.

_It didn’t help me at all. It also didn’t bother me, but it could have helped me more._

With a grunt, Clint slides his cards across the table and places them at the end of the deck.

“I fold.”

"Well, well, Robin Hood, leaving so early?" Tony teased.

Clint narrowed his eyes menacingly and pointed his finger at Tony.

"Don’t look so happy. I bet you're bluffing.”

“Nah-ah!” Tony lowered Clint's finger with one hand. “You can only bet if you’re still in the game. And, look, you're not.”

"You're unbearable."

"I'm adorably unbearable, Barton, dear.”

Tony turned around and almost ask aloud, "don’t you agree, Steve?", but at that moment, Steve's hand was back on his leg, hot and unashamed, breaking into the few inches Tony's pants gave him access and he was no longer able to reason coherently.

 _I need to focus on the game,_ a distant part of Tony's brain was still trying to be rational. _But if he's trying to cheat by destabilizing me, it's working fine._ Steve was now using only his fingertips to stroke the exposed skin of Tony's leg and that was sending impulses straight to his crotch. _God, this is working very well._

“Tony? _Tony!”_ Tony jumped back to the surface and met Natasha's gaze, incisive, accusatory, and at the same time sympathetic, if that was possible.

"Sorry." He cleared his throat and straightened his back, but he didn’t shrug his legs. "I distracted myself.”

 _Well, that was a way of saying,_ Tony shrugged mentally.

"It's your turn to bet," she said.

He looked at the table and bet four chips. _I_ need _this party._ He looked at Steve, who looked back out of the corner of his eye and smiled crookedly.

 _And this fucker knows exactly what he's doing. And he’s loving every second of it._ Tony paused for a second. _Who am I trying to fool?_ I _am loving every second of it._

Steve, then, in a bold move, not only called, but increased two chips, totaling six. Tony felt his eyes widen quickly, but he soon returned to his empty expression.

_It is not possible that his hand is so good._

Natasha kept the six chips, which forced Tony to put two more chips to continue in the game.

The last community card was opened by Natasha, a beautiful three of clubs and Tony couldn’t be more pleased. With the new card, he now had a four of a kind, joining his original three diamonds plus the other three threes that were opened at the table. Chances were extremely favorable, which made him open the betting round by betting high, placing eight chips in the center of the table.

 _I'll make them all run away,_ Tony thought confidently.

To his surprise, Steve called, putting his eight chips on the table, followed by Natasha, who did the same, closing the betting round.

 _No way,_ Tony thought, now irritated. _In the next round I will finish them._

Natasha was about to start the next round when Tony's cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He picked up the phone and saw Happy's photo on the display.

"Not now," Tony complained and put the phone to his ear. "Sup, Happy?"

"I'm down here," said Happy on the other side of the line.

"Can you give me fifteen minutes? I need to make sure I won a bet," Tony looked at Steve.

"Of course, you can have fifteen minutes.”

"You're the best, Happy.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Tony hung up the phone and looked at the Avengers sat around the table.

"As much as I want to stay here and finish you off with more matches, I have a trip booked and Happy is here to take me to the jet. But can we finish this one here?”

"Showdown, then?" Natasha asked.

"Showdown, then." Steve shrugged.

Natasha was the first to put her cards on the table, faces up.

"A full house," she announced, with two jacks and three threes.

"A full house, too," Steve said, showing his cards. "But smaller than yours." A pair of twos and three threes.

They both looked at Tony, waiting.

"Well, children, I warned you that inviting me to play poker was a mistake." Tony put his cards next to the other five open on the table and smiled. "A four of a kind, lady and sir." He looked at the other two and laughed. Natasha's mouth was wrinkled in a grimace and Steve, oh, poor Steve, his mouth was open with shock, looking at the cards, unable to believe it. Tony didn’t resist and grasped the soldier's chin and raised his face gently to meet his eyes. "The expression you're looking for, Stevie, sugar, is _‘it’s not possible.’”_

Tony released Steve's face and, with a wink, stood up.

"Bye to you all," Tony said loudly, catching the attention of all the Avengers present. "I'll see you in a few days. Until I come back, please do not destroy the Tower, behave as civilized people, anything you need, call Steve or ask Friday, and do not let the world be destroyed.”

"Where are you going, Mr. Stark?" Peter asked from the couch in front of the huge TV where he, Thor and Hulk were playing Call of Duty.

“Dubai, on behalf of Stark Industries.”

"We'll miss you," Peter said with a smile.

"No, we won’t," Clint said, but he smiled quickly. "You can go relaxed. We’ll take care of everything here.”

"There is still salvation for you, Merida.”

"Don’t abuse, Stark." Clint passed him and went into the kitchen to eat a slice of pizza.

"Have a good trip, Stark," Thor said with a wave.

"Thank you, Thor." Tony nodded back.

He was about to turn around when Natasha pulled him by the arm and led him to the balcony, away from the eyes and ears of the others.

“What is it?” Tony asked.

"Don’t think for a second that I'm an idiot, Tony," she said in the quietest voice of the world, and Tony could only associate that tone with danger.

"It never crossed my mind."

"That's good, because the others may not be aware of what you and Steve are doing, but I am.”

Tony made his best expression of innocence.

“I don’t know what you're talking about.”

Natasha punched Tony's arm, which cringed.

“Ouch!”

"I told you to not underestimate me. Or do you think I didn’t see the smiles, the glances, the slippery hands?”

Tony swallowed.

“I saw it, okay?” Natasha sighed heavily. "The others are still completely oblivious, but I'm not.”

"As always, isn’t it?"

She shrugged.

"The point is, I think it's great.”

“Excuse me?”

Tony really wasn’t expecting that.

Natasha smiled slightly.

“He has loved you for years and finally see him like this, all silly and happy, passionate, is the best thing I could expect for him. He's my friend, too, Tony. And I want the best for him. And the best for Steve is you.”

“Thank you, Nat.”

"So don’t ruin everything, you understand?"

"How would I ruin everything?" Tony winced. That was absurd. “ _Why_ would I ruin everything?”

"I'm just telling you not to panic or anything. I know you." She looked at him intently, as if she could see into him. "And you deserve it too.”

“Thank you again.”

"But know that I'm watching."

Tony shifted uncomfortably.

"Not that having people looking at me has ever stopped me before, but if I may ask, try not to look so much, okay? I don’t care, but Steve is kinda shy when he knows there’s other people looking.”

"It wasn’t what it looked like during the poker game.”

"Oh, come on, Nat.”

“Alright, fine. I'll conveniently look the other way, okay?”

“Better.”

"Now go, before Happy comes to get you in here."

Tony had already turned around when he remembered something important.

“Hey, Nat. Can I ask you another favor?”

"We'll see." The spy narrowed her eyes.

“I made a bet with Steve on today's game,” Tony smiled. “And as I won, now I'm going to get my reward and I need your help.”

“For what?”

“For a birthday party. The most spectacular birthday party New York has ever seen.”

Natasha smiled.

“Consider it done. I'll send you the details by email.”

“Deal. But don’t let him know.”

She snorted.

"What do you think I am?"

"The best spy in the world," Tony approached her and hugged her. "And the best friend anyone could have," he said. "See you in four days.”

Tony was already in the elevator, with the doors closing, when Steve blocked them.

"Do you mind if I come down with you?"

“Not even a little.”

With the two of them inside the elevator, the doors closed and the descent began.

"I still can’t believe you won today," Steve said after a few seconds.

Tony smiled.

"And I still can’t believe you didn’t take my tips seriously. I'm great playing poker.”

"You're great in a lot of things.”

A shiver went up Tony's back. The elevator might not be the best place to be extremely horny in the company of the reason for such excitement.

"You have no idea, Stevie," Tony managed to say.

Steve took a step and only a handful of air separated them. He bowed possessively and rested his hands on either side of Tony's head on the elevator wall. Tony's fingers came alive and hooked into the elastic of Steve's shorts, which inspired sharply.

"So you mean Tony Stark still has some secrets?" He laid his forehead against Tony's and they both began to breathe the same air.

_Oh, my God, this is so fucking hot!_

Tony was already half-hard and he just wanted the time to stop, the world to stop, the universe to stop, and only he and Steve to remain.

"Oh, Steve, you can’t even imagine what I've been keeping." Tony lifted his face, moving closer to Steve's face, their mouths so close that Tony could almost taste it...

And with a fucking plim! the elevator’s doors opened.

With a groan of frustration, Tony slid his head to Steve's shoulder and his hands went to the soldier’s back, who hugged him back.

"We'll have time when you get back," Steve said somewhere in the middle of Tony's hair.

“I didn’t want to go.”

"I didn’t want you to have to go either, but it's important."

Tony moaned, defeated, and walked away. Steve cupped his face in his hands and smiled.

“I'll be waiting.”

Tony smiled back.

"That's all I could want."

"Have a good trip, and when you least expect it, you'll be back."

"Back to you.”

Steve kissed Tony's face. Tony closed his eyes and let himself be lost there for a few seconds. As Steve stepped back, he smiled the most loving smile Tony had ever seen.

"Back to me.”

And that smile was only his, only Tony's.


	5. Independence Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! First of all, thank you so much for all the kudos and comments! You are so lovely that I can't even say how much I love you all!
> 
> I apologize for taking so long to post a new chapter, but life's been extremely complicated and busy. I must say that I felt as frustrated as Tony having to travel to Dubai.
> 
> Ok. Enough talking. Hope you like it! xo

"Welcome to Dubai, Mr. Stark,” a man in a very well-tailored suit received him at the hotel door and showed him the way to the reception. "Have you had a good trip?"

"Oh, yes, thank you," Tony was still dizzy with the exhausting flight and the eight-hour time zone, but he still managed to smile at the man in front of him.

"Here's the access card to your room," the man said, handing him a magnetic card. "Your bags are already in the room. We prepared the presidential suite for your stay and the meeting room for tomorrow at five in the afternoon, as requested.”

Tony couldn’t help a weary sigh.

"Thank you again," he said, heading for the elevator and yawning as the doors closed.

He was exhausted. The flight hadn’t been pleasant, not at all comfortable, and his whole body was sore, and Tony knew that much of his dissatisfaction was simply because he didn’t want to be there.

 _At least I can sleep for a whole day,_ he thought. _Steve would be proud._

His body immediately lit up at the thought of Steve. Steve, whom he had left miles away, when the two had finally admitted to each other what they felt, when they could finally begin to live the love that had always existed between them. It was so unfair.

_That must be how he felt whenever he tried to talk to me about his feelings and something happened._

The elevator opened and Tony finally reached his room.

"The Renaissance never disappoints," he said, looking at the huge room in front of him, the magnificent view of Dubai beneath the full-length windows, the bright floor, the cushioned couches in the room, and the flawless décor. “Let’s see if the bed remains as good as I remember.”

Tony went to the other side of the room and found the huge king-size bed, neatly arranged, with his small suitcase beside it and smiled. He took off his shoes, his jacket, his shirt and pants, getting in his boxer brief and threw himself on the bed.

"Really, they _never_ disappoint." He hugged one of the pillows and his eyes immediately began to close. _When was the last time I actually slept?_ Before Tony could think of an answer, he was engulfed into a peaceful sleep, with dreams full of blue, love and warmth.

The dreams made him wake up smiling, which was as unusual as Tony's sleep. _What was I dreaming about?_ His smile widened as he remembered that the last image of his dream was Steve smiling at him in the elevator... yesterday? _What time is it?_

Tony looked around and couldn’t see anything, it was already high night. He groped for the bed until he found his cell phone and turned it on.

"Friday, what time is it?" He asked, his voice husky with sleep.

"It's six in the morning in Dubai, boss. Two in the afternoon in New York.”

Tony sat on the bed and rubbed his eyes.

“How long did I sleep?”

“Twenty-two hours without interruption.”

“Wow, I think this is a record.”

"You haven’t had a good night's sleep for at least a week.”

Tony's body agreed. He had neglected many hours of sleep in the last few days, for various reasons, doing overtime in the lab, developing new projects, or thinking about Steve. Sleep had come in good time.

“Call Natasha and put the call on speaker.”

"Immediately, boss." He stretched, turned on the lamp beside the bed, and waited.

"Romanoff," the spy answered three rings later.

“Good evening, Nat.”

"Well, well, look who crawled out of his grave," Natasha said. "How’s Dubai?"

Tony looked at his room and grimaced.

"I didn’t even want to be here to begin with, but Dubai remains as beautiful as ever.”

"Were you _asleep?_ " the disbelief in Natasha's voice was evident.

"You don’t have to sound so surprised.”

"Steve will be so proud of you."

Tony smiled involuntarily.

“How's he doing?”

"He, Sam, and Thor are out for a mission,” Tony could almost see Natasha’s shrugged. “Unidentified energy signatures upstate.”

“Something serious?” It was obvious that something would happen as soon as Tony left New York.

"No. We have everything under control.”

"Are you in the Tower?"

"Yeah. Me, Clint, Peter and Hulk stayed to monitor things around here.”

"Do you need help with something?"

Natasha snorted.

"Please, Tony, who do you think we are?"

Tony was looking at the cell phone, and even though Natasha couldn’t see him, he raised his hands apologetically.

“Okay, I'm sorry. But if you need to, just call me. You know I have the means to help you even being away.”

“Yeah, I know, but settle down. We take care of everything here. It's only four days, Tony. Just worry about signing your contract and coming back.”

That made Tony's brain really wake up.

"By the way, what do you have to tell me about Steve's birthday party?"

"You're very lucky, you know that?"

"I do." He smiled. "But why now?"

“Because I love planning parties and today I have my schedule free. How's yours?”

Friday showed Tony's schedule for the rest of the day, and if it wasn’t for the meeting with the investors at five, he would have nothing else for the rest of the day.

“I'm free all day.”

“Great. So you're going to help me," Natasha said. "I'll call you on a video call, and we'll both plan this party.”

"Call me in thirty minutes. I'm gonna take a shower and get some coffee.”

"Thirty minutes," Natasha agreed. "Don’t be late.”

And, thirty minutes later, Tony's phone came on announcing Natasha's video call. Tony set the phone on the counter in the suite's living room and let the holographic screen come alive, showing Natasha's face with the spy's room in the background.

"What do you already have?" Tony asked taking a sip of the coffee that room service had brought him. “Let's start with the general parts and then let's focus on the details, okay?”

Natasha nodded.

"The guest list," she said, and then a sequence of names appeared in the corner of the screen. Authorities, some friends, scientists, Nick Fury, Maria Hill and Phil Coulson with the new tactical team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and all the Avengers scattered around the world totaling two hundred people.

"That's a good list," Tony said. "I don’t think you forgot anyone.”

"Although I'm already counting on some educated refusals," Natasha made an expression of disdain, "by my accounts most of these people will come."

“Great. Steve likes them all.”

"Shall we invite the Royal Family of Atillan?"

"I don’t see why we shouldn’t," Tony said, taking another sip of the coffee. "But I don’t know if our kind of party is theirs.”

"We invite for politeness, then?"

"Won’t hurt us, Nat."

Natasha shrugged.

“You're the boss.”

“After the list, what else?”

“Well, we need to decide what food we’re going to serve, what we’ll have in the bar, the music and if we’ll have decoration.”

"Leave the bar on me," Tony smiled. "I'll ask Friday to arrange everything."

Natasha was typing quickly on the keyboard in front of her and Tony imagined what the spy's system of organization would look like. _Random topics or priorities?_

"Food, then." She looked at the screen and waited.

_Priorities, no doubt._

"Finger food," Tony didn’t even think twice. It was a birthday party for Steve and if there was one thing the soldier liked when he was at home was being practical. Complicated missions and enemies were enough.

Natasha nodded and typed again on the keyboard.

“Any decorations?”

"Anything that doesn’t have the Fourth of July theme."

"But it's Independence Day." She frowned, not understanding.

"You must understand that this isn’t _Captain America's_ birthday party, " Tony said. "This is _Steve Rogers'_ birthday party, you know? It must be special for the man, not for the symbol.”

"Who would’ve thought you'd be so sensitive to those details?" Natasha smirked.

It could be the bizarre timezone effect, or the many hours of sleep finally slept, or it could be Tony simply allowing himself to tell the truth out loud when he eventually shrugged and smiled back at Natasha.

“I love him, Nat.”

"Good you both realized it in time.”

“Good. Good indeed.”

"So no red, white, and blue in the decor?"

Tony shook his head.

“Nope.”

"Can I at least get some fireworks?"

"Thinking about it now, it's not a bad idea," Tony finished his coffee. "We can take part in the holiday celebrations _and_ celebrate Steve.”

“It's going to look incredible.”

“I hope that it looks. It took a lot of work to get him to let me throw this party.”

"I still can’t believe you had to win this party at a poker game," Natasha laughed.

"Your friend doesn’t like his own birthday and wouldn’t let me throw him a party," Tony threw his arms up, remembering his conversation with Steve about it. "So I planned to throw a party with the excuse that we would celebrate the beginning of Peter's summer...”

"What a stupid reason," Natasha interrupted.

"...I know, but it was the best idea I could have until poker came along.”

"At least execution is going to be better than the idea, I assure you," Natasha smiled a little.

"Your name is at stake, Miss Romanoff," Tony said.

“I assure myself.”

The sun was finally in all its glory in the Dubai sky and the clock in the corner of the holographic display indicated that it was eight in the morning. Tony did the math quickly; it was four in the afternoon in New York.

"Has Steve already returned from the mission?"

Natasha shook her head.

"Not yet, but they're on their way."

"Good, don’t let him suspect anything.”

"Tony, please." She grimaced in disgust. "That's me you're talking to.”

"I know, I know." He held up his hands apologetically. "I'm just nervous.”

"I see no reason for that.”

"Okay, let's go back and focus on the details. Invitations first.”

During the early hours of Tony’s morning and Natasha’s evening, they decided everything about the invitations (the good old e-mail, always work for superheroes), the menu (chicken minifajitas, mini bacon quiches and hot dogs, Steve's favorites), beverages (all distillates of which Tony could remember, beer, orange juice and water), decoration ("Less is more," Natasha had said. Then they would keep the penthouse without decoration because, according to the spy, "the Tower is already naturally beautiful."), and music ("Let the DJ do his job, Tony", Natasha had said, "I'll find the best New York DJ and that's it.").

“Send me all the progress, okay?” Tony asked when his lunch arrived in the suite at one in the afternoon.

"Don’t worry," Natasha said. "I'll start arranging everything and as soon as I have anything I'll send it to you.”

"Thank you, Nat," Tony said sincerely. "You're amazing.”

“I know.”

"I'm going to hang up because I still have to read the contract."

"Okay. We'll talk later." The spy hung up and the holographic screen disappeared.

Tony began to read the contract while having lunch and worked on the changes until shortly before the meeting, when Friday remembered him about the hour. He took a shower and went down to the hotel's meeting room, where investors were already waiting for him.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Tony greeted, hoping with all his heart that the meeting would be quick. The faster they signed that contract, the faster he would go home to Steve. Tony smiled.

The man in front of him smiled back and took Tony's outstretched hand.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Stark. Let's start?”

However, it was obvious that the universe and Tony were not good friends because investors asked for another day so they could redo the contract by adding the changes Tony made.

"Can we meet here tomorrow morning?" Tony asked. “I have a very important appointment in New York and I really need to go back there tomorrow.”

"No problem, Mr. Stark," the investor stood up, finishing the meeting. "We'll meet tomorrow at eight, okay?"

Tony smiled.

“Perfect.”

As soon as all handshakes were given, Tony returned to the suite and called Natasha.

"I tried to get back sooner, but it didn’t work out. I'll arrive tomorrow afternoon.”

"Okay," she smiled. "I already sent the invitations. Our friends have already confirmed their presence, only the authorities are missing.”

"I didn’t get an invitation," Tony pretended to be offended.

Natasha rolled her eyes, but then a warning of new e-mail popped up on Tony's screen.

"You are invited to Steve Rogers’ birthday, Fourth of July, at the Avengers Tower, at eight o'clock," Tony read aloud, "Come and help us make the best 100-year party someone could have," Tony laughed. 

"Tomorrow I'll confirm what's still missing. Everything will be ready when you arrive.”

“Great. See you tomorrow, then.”

“Don’t be late.”

"I wouldn’t even dream of it."

To Tony's luck, the next twelve hours passed quickly, and at exactly eight o'clock in the morning he was signing the two-hundred-million-dollar contract for renewable energy projects for Stark Industries and half an hour later, he was already taking off to New York with his heart leaping.

 _I'm coming back, Steve._  
______________________________

_Home sweet home._

You can say what you want, but New York is the best city in the whole world, with its chaotic streets, mesmerizing lights and ending with the people that make the city unique. And, of course, for being the home of the Avengers.

“Friday, who's at home?” Tony was at the foot of the Avengers Tower, in the car with Happy.

"Unfortunately they all left, boss," the A.I. replied immediately.

“Where did they go?”

“Agent Romanoff, Agent Barton, Thor, and Captain Rogers are on a mission in the service of S.H.I.E.L.D. Mr. Wilson, Mr. Parker and the Hulk are in Central Park facing the Mole Man.”

"Don’t let anyone know I'm here, do you understand?" Tony got out of the car and entered the Tower.

“Yes, sir.”

"But tell Natasha I'm home. Only her." He said already inside the Avengers' exclusive elevator. "Tell her I'm exhausted and I’m going to sleep to be presentable for the party.”

"But Captain Rogers' party is only tomorrow, boss.”

“Friday, I'm still not sure what time it is...”

"Three in the afternoon, sir.”

“...it doesn’t matter. What matters is to be in my best shape for Steve's party.”

"Don’t you want me to tell Captain that you arrived?"

The elevator doors opened and Tony went straight to his room.

"No. I want me to be back in to be a surprise. I want him to enjoy seeing me.”

"I think Captain Rogers will like to see you at any moment, boss."

Tony smiled at A.I.'s remark.

“Thanks, Friday, but follow the original plan, okay?” He took off his shoes and coat, and threw himself on the bed. "Just tell Natasha and keep secret from the others. Let me know when it's an hour before the party.”

“Whatever you want, boss.”

"Now be a good girl and darken my room, will you?"

With the room completely in the dark, Tony let his eyes close and with thoughts of "Steve will be happy to know that I slept so much in the last hours," he actually fell asleep.

______________________________

“Tony! Wake up!”  


Tony felt that everything was shaking. _There are no earthquakes in New York._

“Tony!” A groan of frustration was very close. “Friday, turn on the lights.”

A sudden glare hurt Tony's retinas, even with his eyes closed. He immediately sat on the bed and covered his eyes.

"What the hell is going on?" He looked around and found Natasha sitting at the foot of his bed, fully clothed for a party, in a fair red dress draped in sequins, her hair falling in waves to her shoulders and soft makeup. “Wow, you look stunning.”

She smiled.

“Thanks.”

“What time is it?” Tony rubbed his eyes and looked out the window. The lights of New York already contrasted with the dark sky.

"Almost eight o'clock on the fourth of July. And as far as I know, you're invited to a very important party today.”

"And it's been a lot of work to get it."

"Then please, go get dressed."

"You didn’t have to come here," Tony said, getting up. "Friday was ready to wake me up.”

Natasha just shrugged.

"I thought you might like to know that a certain blue-eyed super-soldier is extremely impatient because he didn’t get any calls from you wishing him a happy birthday."

Tony paused at the bathroom door and couldn’t contain all the butterflies that came to life in his stomach and the huge smile that appeared on his face.

“Really?”

Natasha nodded.

"He was so uptight these days without talking to you. You could’ve called.”

Tony shrugged.

"Let's just say I needed to _chill out_ after the way we said goodbye. Cool things out a bit and focus on what I needed to do there or else I wouldn’t even have been able to stay in Dubai, Nat.”

"I think he's had his freeze time for about three lives, Tony." She held up her hands, defending herself when Tony wanted to interrupt her. "But I understand you, okay? Just get ready for the party and make him happy.”

"That's all I want, Nat," Tony said and turned to enter the bathroom.

An hour later, Tony Stark was irresistible in his tailor-made Armani suit, heading toward the penthouse. He could already hear the music and the many conversations.

“Friday, where is Steve?”

“Near the bar, talking with King T’Challa and Queen Ororo.”

 _Great,_ Tony thought. _I can watch everything without him seeing me for now._

He approached the stairs leading to the bottom of the penthouse where the party was taking place and found him immediately. Leaning on one of his arms at the bar counter, wearing black pants, a blue shirt folded halfway up his arm, chatting excitedly with T'Challa about something, and occasionally looking around, as if searching for something - _or someone_ \- Steve was beautiful.

 _As usual,_ Tony thought.

He looked around and saw that Natasha had done a good job. Everyone had really come: the Fantastic Four was there talking to Carol Danvers, the X-Men had also come and were laughing at something that Vision and Wanda had told, Bucky had left Wakanda and was with Natasha in a quiet corner and Rhodes was introducing some UN secretaries to the Guardians of the Galaxy and to Hank Pym and his family. Everyone had glasses in their hands and the waiters were everywhere with trays in their hands, always full of food.

_All right, everybody well served; time to finally talk to the birthday boy._

Tony came down the stairs slowly, trying to slow his own heart. He greeted some people on the way, waved away from others, and headed straight for the bar, non-stopping to talk to anyone in particular.

Without letting Steve see him, and signing T’Challa to say nothing, Tony stopped right behind the soldier and ordered a double whiskey from the waiter without making a sound. With the glass in hand, Tony took a long swallow and let the drink warm his body.

_Showtime, Stark._

"You know," he said, his voice louder than the music. Steve turned around immediately and stared at him wide-eyed. Tony smiled. “For someone who's turning 100, you're in great shape.”

"You're back," Steve still stared at Tony as if he was not really there.

“I am.”

“When?”

“Yesterday afternoon.”

Steve frowned.

“Yesterday? And why didn’t you say anything?”

Tony took another sip of the whiskey.

“I wanted to surprise you.”

Steve finally smiled.

“I missed you.”

They were facing each other, with only a fraction of air separating them, once again oblivious to the noise and the people around. With his free hand, Tony reached for Steve's hand on the bar counter and, without looking away, twined his fingers around Steve's.

“Me too. You can’t imagine how much I wanted to get back early.”

"You're back, finally."

"Back to you, as I promised," Tony squeezed Steve's hand, pulling him closer, into his embrace. _Where he belongs._

Steve hugged Tony back with his free arm and made the engineer shiver as he kissed the curve of his neck. If it was up to Tony, the party could end there, at that moment. He was where he most wanted to be, inside Steve's embrace, with Steve in his arms, emanating love from every pore and looking. Everything was like and where it should be. But Tony still had one last surprise, and this one needed the right moment.

"Have you talked to all your guests yet?" He asked Steve.

Steve shook his head, still on Tony's neck. Tony laughed.

“And why not?”

"Because I was expecting you to come," Steve pulled away, but kept his fingers interlaced with Tony's. "I was worried you wouldn’t be able to come.”

"I wouldn’t miss this party for nothing. I had a lot of work to win it," Tony smirked.

"You didn’t, no.”

"Yeah, I didn’t. But I want you to fulfill your part of the bet entirely. You need to love this party, remember?”

"I'll make an effort," Steve teased Tony's fingers absently. "Now that you're here, it's going to be easier.”

“Really?”

Steve nodded.

"And may I ask why?" Tony watched Steve play with his fingers and couldn’t stop smiling. _When did I become a teenager again?_

"Well, if I'm bored, I just need to look for the most handsome man at the party and remember how lucky I am to have him in my life," Steve looked at Tony, his eyes intense. "And goodbye boredom.”

Tony couldn’t formulate a coherent sentence because of the huge knot in his throat. That should be forbidden, so much love, so much sincerity. _Steve should be forbidden for being so wonderful._ He managed to smile and drank the rest of the whiskey he still had in his glass, trying to swallow the knot as well.

"It's good for you that today I chose a nice suit."

"You don’t need a well-tailored suit to be handsome, Tony.”

"That way I'll think you're flirting with me, Stevie, darling," Tony smirked.

Steve approached and Tony took a deep breath to control himself as he felt the soldier's warm breath on his ear.

"How many more clues do I need to give?" And in a daring move he bit Tony's earlobe, which moaned softly.

“Is the party already over?” Tony asked as Steve walked away smiling.

"No. And, as you said yourself, I must _love_ every minute of it. So that's what I intend to do.”

Tony looked at him, unable to understand.

"How can you be so... controlled?"

Steve held up their hands, still entwined, up to eye level.

"Because I know I'll never lose you again, and I don’t need to hurry anymore."

Tony shook his head, still not really understanding.

"I’m not sure if I'll ever be so evolved. But one thing you can be sure of: you will _never_ get rid of me again. Now you're going to talk to your guests. I'm going to have another scotch.”

Steve kissed Tony's fingers and turned, heading toward the other side of the penthouse, where Bucky and Natasha were. Tony ordered another double scotch and stood leaning on the bar counter watching Steve circle his own birthday party, chatting with the guests, patting him on the back, shaking hands, a few hugs a little too long by Tony's standards, but he wasn’t jealous. He was just watching.

“Hello, Stark.”

Tony was taken from his silent observation and found Nick Fury at his side, holding a beer.

“Hi, Nick, enjoying the party?”

The S.H.I.E.L.D. director held up the bottle.

"Of course, you know how to party like a few.”

"It's Natasha's worth today."

Fury raised an eyebrow and Tony just shrugged. It was easier to pass the responsibility for the party to someone else than to be thankful for great food and incredible music.

"I heard you just got back from Dubai," Fury said.

"I went there to help Pepper solve some Stark Industries affairs.”

"And since when do you have affairs with Rogers?"

Tony choked on the whiskey.

“Excuse me?” He managed to ask after a few coughs.

Fury narrowed his good eye.

"You didn’t expect all this _interaction_ between the two of you, since you arrived at the party, to have gone unnoticed, did you?"

 _Actually yes,_ Tony wanted to answer, because whenever he and Steve were together it was as if time stood still and only they two remained within their particular bubble sound and image-proof. The outside world simply disappeared when Steve was around because only what Tony could see was the soldier's perfection.

"No, of course not," Tony finally replied. And then it was his turn to narrow his eyes. "Do you have a problem with that, Fury?"

“What?” Fury was offended. “Of course not, for God's sake. What do you think I am? Some homophobic asshole?”

"So what are you doing here, asking me these things?"

"I just want you and him to know that I don’t care at all. I think it's great, actually, that the two of you have finally solved this unresolved sexual tension.”

Tony would have choked again if his whiskey wasn’t over.

_"Unresolved sexual tension?"_

"Oh, come on, Tony," Fury rolled his eyes. "You two orbit around each other and tease each other for years and never solved anything. It was about time.”

"It seems like everyone knew about me and Steve except, well, _me and Steve._ ”

"It's not our fault if you didn’t want to see the obvious," Fury shrugged. "My point is, I don’t care about your relationship, okay? As long as it doesn’t disturb your work and my life.”

Tony chuckled.

“This is ridiculous. Won’t happen.”

"Fine, otherwise I will interfere and you won’t like it."

Tony frowned.

_“Don’t you dare.”_

Fury raised his hands in front of his body.

“All right, relax. No need to stress. Here,” he reached out and picked up a red, white and blue popsicle, the only reference to the holiday at the party, and handed it to Tony. “Take a popsicle and chill, okay?”

Fury pulled away and Tony stared at the popsicle. He shrugged. _It's Fourth of July, after all._

"Friday, what time is it?" Tony asked over the noise of the song, after finishing the popsicle.

"It's ten minutes to midnight, boss.”

“Great. Access the sound system and prepare the music. I'll warn Natasha and find Steve.”

"I'm ready, boss."

Tony rummaged through the crowd and found the spy still talking to Bucky, but now sitting on the couch in the middle of the penthouse. He left the bar and went straight to Natasha, who smiled when she saw him.

“You're beautiful.”

"Thank you." He looked at Bucky and held out his hand. "How’s it going, Bucky?"

Bucky greeted Tony back and smiled.

"Pretty good, thank you." Before he let go of Tony's hand, Bucky pulled him close so that only Tony could hear. "Take good care of my friend, okay?”

Tony nodded.

"Of course," he turned to Natasha. "Prepare the fireworks.”

"As soon as you give the signal, which I still don’t know what it is."

Tony smiled.

“You will.”

Tony turned to look for Steve and found him immediately, very close, talking to Sam and Reed Richards. _It's now or never._ Tony felt as if he were stuck in slow motion, his body taking one step at a time, approaching the target, arriving, interrupting the conversation politely and calling Steve to the middle of the dance floor.

"Now, Friday," Tony asked, and immediately Born to Be Yours began to play on the speakers.

"What's going on, Tony?" Steve looked around, not understanding.

"I'm taking you out to dance," Tony said, holding out his hand.

Steve smiled beautifully and held Tony by the waist, pulling him close, sticking him to his body and they began to dance, not caring much for the rhythm. Tony laughed.

“I have a gift for you.”

"I thought your gift was the party," Steve said with a frown.

"Did you like it that much? I thought you didn’t like parties.”

"Maybe I can start to reconsider," Steve smirked. "The company has improved a lot.”

"Speaking of company," Tony let go of Steve's neck and took an envelope from the inside pocket of his coat. "Here's your gift.”

Steve released Tony and took the envelope. They were standing in the middle of the dance floor, alone, with all the lights blinking on them, but that was a private moment and the whole party _felt it._ Steve opened the envelope carefully and Tony was heart pounding. _Why did the world slow down so much?_ He watched Steve closely and saw the soldier frown.

“What?” Tony asked, barely holding back his smile of excitement.

"I don’t know if I understand what this is," Steve said looking at the card he had taken from the envelope.

"Read it out loud," Tony suggested. "Maybe it'll help."

"This card is a weekend-ticket," Steve began. "You are invited to spend a whole weekend, completely incommunicable, with me. Will you?"  


Steve looked at Tony, who was now grinning.

"Is that what I think it is?"

On the speakers now it was playing Float, _and the music couldn’t be more appropriate,_ Tony thought.

"You may not have won the poker bet," Tony said, looking deep into Steve's eyes. "But I wanted to give you a gift for being so patient all these years, for loving me for so long and never giving up on me. On us." He smiled and pointed at the card. "What do you say? We leave tomorrow. Will you come?”

Steve came over, cutting off all the space between them, grabbed Tony's neck and kissed him.

 _Oh, finally,_ Tony thought, his whole body responding to the kiss. His hands flew over to Steve's hair, his fingers wrapping around the soft locks, and pulled the soldier closer, holding him just as Tony was being hold. _The best of prisons._ Tony felt Steve's tongue on his lips, anxious and demanding, and, without hesitation - _I've waited too long for this_ \- he opened his mouth, giving Steve free access.

 _Hope the music is loud enough,_ Tony thought somewhere in his mind, moaning loudly when their tongues met. A shiver of pure pleasure ran through Tony's body as he heard Steve moaning too, the vibration coming from the back of his throat. It was more than he'd dreamed, more than he'd expected all along, but at the same time it was all he ever wanted. Steve's taste was intoxicating, inviting, sensual and _it's official,_ Tony thought, _it's my favorite taste._

How did they neglect that for so long? How they didn’t realize that they were perfect for each other before? How they didn’t realize that their lips were shaped to fit together like pieces of the same puzzle, Steve's hand fit perfectly into the curve of Tony's spine to put him at the right angle for Tony to reach the soft hair of the soldier?  
How Tony could not have Steve's warm body glued to his, to have his soft mouth in his, to feel the eagerness of his tongue exploring and longing for Tony like he'd never before thought he could be wanted? How could he live without that with Steve so close?

 _What a waste of time,_ Tony thought. _We have a lot to make up for._

Without really wanting to detach from each other, they both leaned one head on the other and tried to catch their breathes. It was then that the claps began. All the guests had gathered around the dance floor and applauded them, who smiled at each other without stopping.

_May the world be a witness that we belong to each other._

That was Natasha's clue.

Fireworks of every color and shape illuminated the sky outside the Tower, enchanting everyone, who rushed to the windows to admire the spectacle.

"Happy birthday, my love," Tony said, holding Steve's face and stroking it with his thumb.

"I love you," Steve said simply.

 _Will I ever get sick of this?_ Tony thought giving the biggest smile he remembered. He stood on tiptoe and pulled Steve in for another kiss. As soon as their mouths met once more, Tony was sure of the answer.

_It’s impossible to get sick of happiness._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know of your thoughts about what you read!
> 
> Let's see how our two dear ones will go through the next chapter.
> 
> See you soon <3


	6. Oxytocin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> First of all, thanks for all the kudos, comments and love. You are amazing!
> 
> So this sixth chapter is just a breath until what we're all waiting for (yes, I know you guys are as eager for their weekend as I am!)
> 
> xo

_Someone, please, turn those damn lights down._

Tony could see everything in shades of red behind his closed eyelids, but he refused to open his eyes.

_Who turned the lights on and turned off the music?_

He shook his head trying to find some sound to show him what was happening when his nose touched something soft and smelling good. _Very_ good.

Tony turned his whole body in the direction of the odor and realized that he was sitting, leaning on something hot, soft and solid at the same time, and enveloping him.

_Where am I?_

Surrendering to curiosity, he opened his eyes and looked around. He was still in the Tower, but the light that woke him was not from inside the penthouse, but it was the sunlight. It was day already in New York, and sunlight streamed into the room, outlining the mess: scattered cups, napkins thrown over the floor, trays of food scattered about the coffee table, and several Avengers sleeping around the penthouse, lying on the couches, or leaning against them. Tony blinked a few times to get used to the sudden glare and looked where he was and smiled.

_How to wake up in the best possible way._

He was sitting at the corner of one of the huge sofas, without his coat, his shirt sleeves rolled up to the crook of his arm, and no tie, leaning against Steve, who had one of his arms around Tony. At some point last night, they both fell asleep there, with Tony using Steve's shoulder as a pillow. The engineer gave a slight kiss on the bend of the soldier's neck, where his nose had bumped, slowly moved away, taking care that Steve didn’t wake up and stood there watching him sleep.

Steve had his head resting on the soft back of the sofa, his messy hair falling across his forehead; the eyes, with those incredibly long lashes, motionless, with no sign of dreams or nightmares; and with rosy lips slightly open and extremely inviting. His chest rose and fell calmly, and Tony tried to remember the last time Steve had been so calm and with such a _happy_ expression on his face, to no avail.

A wave of pride floated over Tony's body as he thought, without false modesty, that expression of happiness was because of him.

_And if it's up to me, it will be there forever._

Unable to restrain himself, Tony trailed Steve's face with his fingertips, following the line of his jaw, and back to caress his hair. With a sigh, Steve opened his eyes and smiled as he met Tony's gaze.

“G’morning.”

“Good morning, my love,” Tony smiled back.

Steve kept his head on the sofa looking at Tony, but he reached out to hold Tony's free hand while Tony stroked his hair.

"Will this ever end?" Steve asked after a time neither of them counted.

“This what?” Tony frowned, not understanding.

"This," Steve released Tony's hand and unhurriedly slid his fingers all over the exposed part of Tony's arm, making him shiver.

Tony breathed audibly, holding back a moan.

“I doubt it very much.”

Steve smiled.

“Nice. I thought I was going to be the only one.”

Tony looked at him intently.

"You can be sure you won’t, my dear.”

He slid the hand that was in Steve's hair to the back of the soldier's neck and pulled him. Without offering any resistance, Steve released Tony's hand and used his hands to hold the engineer by the waist while Tony nestled Steve's face in his own hands.

 _This will definitely never end,_ Tony thought when their mouths met. Releasing the moan he had suppressed earlier, Tony invaded Steve's mouth, sipping his taste in a hurry, as if Steve were the last oasis in the desert where Tony had been lost. With a grunt, Steve gripped Tony hard and pulled him up, sitting him on his lap and getting trapped between his legs.

 _Holy shit, we'll get caught,_ Tony managed to think. _Oh, fuck it._

Tony leaned over Steve, deepening the kiss, thrusting his tongue deeper and deeper, exploring every bit of Steve as he felt the soldier's hands on his thighs, squeezing and encouraging.

 _If this is my end, please let it last long enough,_ Tony thought through the confusion of groans that it was no longer possible to know of who they were.

He slid his mouth from Steve's to catch his breath and came down the soldier's neck, kissing and getting drunk with the wonderful scent that only Steve had. When Tony was doing the reverse, returning to his mouth, he smiled and bit Steve's earlobe, which groaned loudly and squeezed Tony's ass.

“Steve!” Tony moaned in Steve's ear and returned to his mouth, thirsty.

Tony sucked Steve's tongue slowly, enjoying his delicious moan, and gripped the soldier's hair tightly. Tony pushed Steve enough to look him in the eye and there was almost no blue, there were only the extremely dilated pupils denouncing the desire. He could feel Steve's erection beneath him and Tony was not much different.

"I want you so _much,_ " Tony said, and was surprised by his own hoarse voice.

Steve smirked and squeezed Tony's ass one more time, tearing out a soft moan from him.

"What's stopping you, my love?"

Tony smiled. It was the first time Steve had called him "my love." He approached for another kiss, but stopped halfway with the sound of the Tower's alarm.

“That's gotta be a joke!” Tony said angrily, stepping away from Steve, but without leaving his lap and without removing the soldier’s hands, which were now on his thighs.

Around him, the other Avengers began to wake up to the sound and immediately stand up, but they all stopped when they saw Tony and Steve. More precisely, where Tony was sitting and where Steve's hands were.

Steve cleared his throat, sitting up as well as he could and Tony saw his neck turning red. He looked around and found nine pairs of eyes watching them both.

“What's it?” Tony had lost all good humor. “Haven't you ever seen a couple in love before? This here” he pointed to himself in Steve's lap “shocks you? If the answer is yes, you don’t even have to waste your time hanging around.”

“Tony...” Steve called.

Tony turned to him.

"I understand you're frustrated," Steve said softly, relievingly. “But you don't need to throw your frustration at them.”

Tony sighed heavily, stepped out of Steve's lap and stood up.

“I'm sorry. I wasn’t expecting an alarm now.”

"Yeah, we figured it out," Clint said, laughing, but tried to disguise it when Natasha nudged his ribs.

"What Clint wanted to say is that we understand," Wanda said with a friendly smile.

"And we're enjoying seeing you two together, Mr. Stark," Peter said. "You two match too much.”

Tony smiled.

“Thanks, kiddo. And sorry again.”

Steve stood up, smiling, still red-cheeked.

"Thanks, you guys are awesome." He cleared his throat and looked serious. "Friday, what triggered the alarm?"

 _Goodbye daring and sensual lover, hello leader and professional hero,_ Tony thought.

"Three portals, Captain," AI's voice answered immediately. "One to the north, one to the east and one to the west of the Tower.

"What's coming out through the portals?" Bucky asked.

A large holographic screen appeared in front of them and was divided into three smaller screens, each focusing on a portal.

"From the West portal, the hydra and what appear to be three winged demons," Friday said. "From the East portal, a dragon.”

“What about the North portal?” Vision asked.

"A man who is not in my database and what looks like a three-headed dog," Friday replied.

"That's Ares," Thor said without emotion.

“You know that guy?” Tony asked. "Why am I not surprised?"

"He's the Greek god of War, and that dog in your company is Cerberus," Thor frowned. "He should be guarding the gates of the Underworld.”

“Underworld?” Clint said. “You mean that place where the dead go?"

"Aye," Thor nodded. "Without the Cerberus, souls can come out freely.”

"Do you know what others are?" Steve asked.

"There with the hydra are the Three Furies," Thor pointed to the east portal. "They judge and punish mortals for their crimes."

“What kind of crimes?” Wanda asked.

"Crimes against morality, against marriage, against blood," Thor said darkly.

"I don’t know if I want to know the details," Clint said with a nervous laugh.

"What about the dragon?" Natasha asked.

"That's Ladan, extremely strong and dangerous, but slow.”

"We can use that to our advantage," Steve said, looking at the Avengers in front of him. "Will everyone here stay and fight?"

Bucky, Wanda, and Vision nodded.

"It's good to come back to the routine," Wanda smiled and snapped her fingers.

"Great, is good to have you back," Natasha smiled quickly at them.

"We're going to separate the group into three teams," Steve said. "Thor, Wanda and I are going North to face Ares. Falcon, Hawkeye, Iron Man and Vision, West. We have faced the hydra before, focus on the Furies and don’t let them touch you. Black Widow, Bucky, Spider-Man and Hulk, East. Use quick attacks to contain it.” Everyone nodded in agreement with the division of the groups. “The group that finishes first go to help the next one, okay?”

"Yes, Captain," Peter nodded seriously.

“Very well. In five minutes in the quinjet,” Steve looked around the room and nodded. “Avengers Assemble!”

Everyone moved.

"Let's smash some monsters," Hulk said with a laugh as he left the room.

Tony moved as well and passed Steve, in a very bad mood, heading for the elevator.

"Hey, handsome." Tony stopped short and an impertinent smile came into the corner of his mouth. _My bad mood has found its weakness._ He turned. Steve smiled crookedly at him and had one hand extended toward him. Tony held it and the soldier pulled him into a hug.

"Don’t make that face," Steve said after kissing Tony's head.

“Why now?” Tony grunted at Steve's shoulder in frustration.

Steve stepped back to look at Tony.

"Who can predict when these things will happen?" He shrugged. "What I know is that the sooner we get used to these interruptions, the easier it gets to deal with them."

Tony hooked his fingers on Steve's belt, pulled him close, and pretended to pout.

"We were so close. And we didn’t wake anyone.” And knowing it was a low blow, he bit his lower lip and stared at Steve, who swallowed.

“We only have one more fight,” he said, wetting his lips with his tongue. _And doesn’t he know how to play?,_ Tony thought. "And then, as soon as it's done, if I remember right, my birthday present comes to fruition and our weekend begins.”

Tony's stomach twitched as he remembered everything he had prepared.

"Friday, what time is it?"

"Nine-fifteen on Saturday morning, boss.”

“Very well.” He smiled at Steve. "I'm sorry, dear, but I can’t stay. I have a date with three adorable winged ladies and a monster with multiple heads.”

Steve laughed and gave Tony a quick kiss.

"For lucky," he said as he pulled away.

"With the anger I am for have been interrupted, I'm able to wipe out all those monsters and still punch Ares's face alone.”

"Leave Ares to my care," Steve said with a wink. He released Tony and ran to his own room.

Five minutes later, the eleven Avengers were gathered in the hangar of the quinjet splitting into their respective groups.

"Nat, go with the quinjet," Steve said.

"Right away," she looked at her group. "Come on, everyone inside.”

"Sam, do you think you can give Clint a ride?" Steve asked.

"For me, no problem," Sam shrugged. "You have to ask him if he'll hitchhike."

"I'm not that boring, Falcon." Clint grimaced.

"The borers never realize they're boring, Robin Hood," Tony teased, already completely covered in armor.

“Own experience, Stormtrooper?” Clint handed it back.

"No, I'm just a good observer," Tony shrugged.

Clint turned to Steve.

"How can you handle him?"

"I'm adorable," Tony answered for Steve, and took off, heading West.

"I expect you to teach him good manners," Clint told Steve.

“Shush, Barton, less talk, more action.” Sam lifted himself over the archer and held him by the hands. “Leave them alone.”

Steve took a deep breath, but smiled. It was good that everything was being dealt with normality.

"Our turn." He turned to Wanda and Thor.

"How are we going?" she asked.

"Friday, get the bikes, please," Steve said.

A few seconds later, two flying motorcycles emerged from openings on the hangar floor and turned on immediately.

“Motorcycles ready, Captain,” Friday announced. “In fact, I am glad to see that you have adapted well to the new uniform, Miss Maximoff.”

Wanda smiled.

“Thank you, Friday. You and Tony did a great job, as always.”

"Come on," Steve said, climbing onto one of the bikes and pointing the other to Wanda. "We're going to Ares like that. Thor, lead the way.”

“Aye, Captain!” With thunder rumbling across the sky, the Asgardian god flew northward and Steve and Wanda followed.

Steve activated his monitor and three smaller screens appeared, showing the three portals.

“Everyone copying?” He asked.

"Yes, Captain," a ten-voice unison, sounded in his ear.

“Very well. Do what you do best.” He looked ahead and could see sharply the portal opened by Ares, which was not yet visible. “Ares and Cerberus must be on the ground,” he said to Thor and Wanda, who agreed.

"We're approaching the portal," Natasha's voice appeared on the comms. "And we already have the Dragon's look. He's huge.”

"We've reached the West portal," Tony announced. "We're beginning the attack.”

Steve sped up his motorcycle and was finally able to see Ares standing in the middle of a junction with a gigantic three-headed black dog and none of them seemed friendly.

"Thor, I thought you talked to Hercules about these things coming to New York."

They landed two blocks away from Ares. Steve saw him smile.

"I indeed talked to Hercules, Captain," Thor said. "But my Greek friend told me he was not aware of any abnormalities. However, he gave me his word that he would stand by and warn us if something _went wrong.”_

"Well, it looks like your friend couldn’t hold the freak out there," Wanda commented.

"In justice to Hercules, Ares is not the type to surrender easily," Thor said.

"To his misfortune," Steve said, walking toward the Greek god. "Neither do us.”

“Thor!” Ares's voice echoed down 44th Street, which, thanks to all that was sacred, was empty. People were smarter after Thanos. “I was really waiting for you.”

"Please tell me he's just waiting to give you a friendly hug," Wanda said without slowing her pace.

"Ares is the god of War, Witch," Thor said. "Nothing with him is friendly.”

They stood a little less than thirty-two feet away. The East River breeze was blowing around them.

"What do you want here, Ares?" Steve asked.

"Olympus has fallen," Ares replied simply. "And as the new ruler of the Greek world, I am here to claim the Earth as part of my new domain.”

"Zeus would never allow such insanity," Thor said loudly.

"Zeus and the other Olympians are under the power of Hades now. And _I_ control Hades.”

"What did you do, Ares?"

"What I did was my problem, Thor. Now do not be gentle and compel me to take your Land, for I will love to take it as my war spoil.” The god smiled wickedly.

"You will never have the Earth under these dirty hands!" Thor screamed and ran toward Ares, who screamed back and ran toward Thor. With an unimaginable leap, the two curled up in the air, and with the impact, a gust of wind blew the windows of the surrounding buildings.

Cerberus moved his three horrendous heads toward Steve and Wanda and his six eyes stared at Steve, hungry.

"Why is he staring at you?" Wanda asked softly.

"Do you really think I know why an infernal dog is staring at me?"

Wanda gave a nervous laugh.

“Okay, I'm sorry. Stupid question,” she looked at him. “What do we do?”

"Go to the right and focus your attacks on that head. I'm going to attack the left head. The middle head will become incapacitated if both ends are too busy to aid in body movement.”

Wanda nodded and, with a surge of red energy coming out of her hands, she took off and landed in front of the right head. With precise attacks, she attacked the right head of Cerberus, who was advancing menacingly to the Avenger.

_I trained her well,_ Steve thought, watching Wanda dodge skillfully from the onslaught of Cerberus to attack him right away with her powers. Sure that she could handle well, Steve ran toward the infernal dog's left flank.

“Hey!” He threw his shield at his left head, which turned angrily to see who had dared to hurt it. As he fixed his eyes on Steve, his head growled, showing his huge teeth and moved toward him, pulling the rest of his body and attacking Steve.

The dog was huge, at least sixteen feet high, and he was furious. But it was difficult to know exactly why. The left head seemed furious because Steve had hit the shield on it while the right head was furious because it had been prevented from continuing to attack Wanda, and the middle head was furious because it couldn’t participate entirely in any attack.

_It's a huge dog, but it's still just a dog,_ Steve thought, raising his shield to defend himself from a bite of Cerberus's left head.

"Wanda, call his attention," Steve shouted. "Let's make him dizzy.”

Wanda threw a bolt of energy into Cerberus's exposed right flank, which snarled and turned to face the source of the attack. Without giving the monster a chance to get close to Wanda, Steve threw his shield into one of the animal's front legs, which roared with three heads.

"Attack the middle head," Steve told Wanda. "Let's try to knock it down."

"With that one out of the way, maybe the other two would fall, too." Wanda's face brightened, as she understood.

Steve smiled.

“Exactly.”

"Will you give me coverage?" Wanda asked.

“Sure.”

“Distract all heads. I have an idea.”

Diverting from a left-handed onslaught, Steve rolled forward of Cerberus and positioned himself defensively, with the shield in front of his body. The three heads of the infernal dog turned to him.

 _Nothing like positioning a red, white, blue, and bright target in front of a dog,_ Steve thought.

Before Cerberus could move to attack Steve, Wanda lunged at the huge dog and mounted on the middle head. Realizing that it was being set up, the middle head was startled and began to move furiously to the sides, trying to throw Wanda away, but she held onto the dog's black hair and Steve could see red energy flowing from Wanda's hands to the head of Cerberus. The Avenger's eyes lit up, and Cerberus's eyes closed. All six. And the huge hellish dog fell under his four paws, sleeping peacefully in front of the United Nations building.

Steve ran close to the dog, who, even lying down, was still extremely tall, and smiled at Wanda.

“Good job.”

She smiled back and floated back to the ground, but she swayed as she landed and Steve held her up.

“Are you alright?”

"It's a very big animal and full of conflicting thoughts," she said, her voice flawed. "Making him sleep drained me a lot of energy.”

“You were amazing. Now rest." Steve led her to the sidewalk and helped her sit down.

"Thank you, Cap.”

Steve looked up but didn’t find Thor. No sign of him around, at street level, either.

"Where's Thor?" He looked at Wanda.

She looked around.

“Where's Ares?”

An icy chill ran over Steve's body.

“Thor?” He called, tapping the comms. “Thor? Where are you?”

Anything. No answer.

"He never answered the comms," Wanda shrugged.

“Someone copying?” Steve asked.

"Barnes here."

“Vision copying, Captain.”

"Did any of you see Thor? He's with Ares.”

"No," Bucky said. "But we've just finished with the dragon. We can help you search. Where exactly are you?”

"Wanda and I are on the corner of the UN building.”

"We're coming to you." Natasha's voice appeared on the comms.

"Try to find Thor by the controls on the quinjet," Steve said.

"We're there in five minutes," Natasha said.

"Vision, are you still there?" Steve called.

"Yes, Captain," the android's robotic voice answered.

“How’s everything there?”

“The hydra was knocked out and there’s also a downed Fury. There are still two more left.”

“Do you need help?” Wanda asked, listening to the conversation.

“Relax, little Witch,” Clint replied. "We have everything under control.”

“Tony?” Steve called. He tried hard not to call the engineer because he knew he needed to focus and the simple thought in Tony destabilized Steve. But he needed to hear Tony's voice, to know he was there.

"Hello, baby," Tony said cheekily, and Steve let out a breath that he hadn’t even realized he was holding. He smiled. There he was. _His_ Tony. “How are you?”

"Better now." Steve slowly realize the response he had given Tony, in the comms _all_ the Avengers were sharing. He felt his neck burn.

"We're finishing things out here," Tony said without much fanfare and Steve was extremely grateful. For a little while. “Soon we go out for our weekend together.”

Steve covered his face with his hand, trying to ignore Wanda's amused look beneath him.

“Tony! We have a minor listening.”

“Who?” Tony asked and it was possible to hear explosions in the background. "You're not talking about Parker, are you?"

"Cap, don’t worry," Peter said. "I don’t care.”

"You should," Steve said. "I mean, no! You should not care. You're still a child. You should not be involved in this kind of conversation.”

"Peter is not a child, Steve," Tony commented. "He's probably heard worse.”

“But that doesn’t mean he needs to hear it _here.”_

“Guys?” Peter called. “That’s alright. I don’t mind, because I've really heard all sort of things out there. And I'm not a child anymore!”

Steve sighed.

"How did we come to that?"

"You should stop worrying so much, darling," Tony laughed. "He better listen to our mouths than the mouths of strangers, is not that what they say?"

“Who says that?” Peter asked.

"I don’t know," Tony said. "Parents, I think.”

"Oh, wait, just wait a minute," Peter said. "Are you telling me you're adopting me?"

Silence in comms.

"We can..." Steve began reluctantly after a few seconds. "We can serve as father figures if you want, Peter.”

“Stark as a father figure?” Clint chuckled. "I lived to hear that. OUCH!”

"The moment, Clint," Sam said. "Do not ruin the moment.”

"Are you serious?" Peter asked. “Because, well, it only have left me and May and I think you can say it's been a while that there is a vacancy for father.”

“Only one?” Tony asked.

"Well, I guess I can talk to Human Resources staff and create another vacancy," Peter laughed.

"I hope I qualify," Tony said. "You're gonna have to help me, Steve.”

"I'm sure you're already doing a great job," Steve smiled.

"Guys, did you hear that?" Peter said loudly in the comms. “Captain America and Iron Man are going to be my parents. Isn’t that incredible?”

"It's just not as amazing as seeing two fucking Furies whirlwinds unconscious to the ground," Clint said, laughing.

"What Clint meant was that we're done here," Sam sighed.

"Great," Steve said. “Come here. We need to find Thor and Ares.”

With a heavy sigh, Steve allowed himself to sit beside Wanda to wait for the others.

"A son, huh?" She asked with a small smile.

Steve laughed through his nose.

"Tony had already adopted this boy a long time ago. It was only a matter of time before we got to that point.”

“And how are you?”

Steve almost replied "tired," but he looked at Wanda and realized from her smiling stare that it wasn’t about his physical state she was asking.

"More than good," he heard himself say. "It's like I've taken ten years off my back and finally I could live for real.”

"You can’t imagine how good it is to come back and find you like this.”

“Like _this_ how?"

"Happy," Wanda answered without hesitation. "With the fullest and most peaceful countenance I’ve ever seen in you. I mean, ever since we met, I've never seen you smile so much. Even when you think there's no one watching you, you're smiling.”

"I have reasons now," Steve smiled and Wanda laughed.

"I was watching you at the party yesterday, you know?"

“Really?”

"Yes. And you know what I saw?”

Steve shook his head.

"You look for each other in the crowd," she said. "When you and Tony walked away yesterday and went round the party, every few seconds you two looked away from your conversations, scanned the party until you found the other, smiled lightly, and returned to your conversations.”

"He was away for many days," Steve tried to justify himself.

"It was clear how much you wanted to be close to each other, Steve. How much you _needed_ each other. No wonder you didn’t come apart after that kiss on the dance floor.” She smiled at him. “It was one of the most beautiful scenes I've ever seen.”

Steve felt his neck burn.

“Thank you.”

"What I'm trying to say is that it's great to see you and Tony together. You do well for each other. More than that, you _complement_ each other. Like two sides of the same coin, two sides of the same opinion,” Wanda gave a wink. “One doesn’t exist without the other.”

At that moment, the quinjet landed next to the United Nations building and the two stood up.

"Hey," Steve took Wanda's hand, holding it for a few seconds. "Thanks for the support. I always had sure that I loved Tony with all my heart, but I never thought much of how they would welcome us if we were to really be together. And so far, I've only had reasons to be happier every time.”

Wanda came over and hugged him tightly.

“From someone in an non-standard relationship to someone in a non-standard relationship: if there is love, everything around is contaminated by it. Hatred is over, distrust is over, prejudice is over, fear is over. There is only love left,” she walked away smiling. “And you two have contaminated this team with so much love that it is impossible not to love back.”

"Thank you, Wanda." Steve kissed her cheek. "Come on, they're waiting.”

They walked the few steps that separated them from the quinjet and found Natasha, Bucky, Hulk and Peter.

"No sign of Thor," Natasha said. "We're looking for his tracker, but it's inactive."

"Does anyone have any other ideas?" Steve asked.

"Goldilocks is not discreet," Hulk said. "Look for destruction, find Thor.”

"Are you sure we're talking about Thor?" Peter asked.

Hulk snorted.

"Why do you think we're friends?"

Peter shrugged.

“Fair enough.”

"Falcon, Iron Man and Vision, where are you?" Steve asked.

"Coming," Sam said, "only more thirty seconds, Cap.”

And, exactly thirty seconds later, the three of them landed with Clint.

“What are we going to do now?” Bucky asked.

Everyone looked at Steve.

"Everyone who can fly or reach the top of the buildings, climb up and look for any sign of destruction, smoke, debris, screaming people, sirens, anything. The others will search for land.

"Right away." Sam nodded and took a flight followed by Vision.

Hulk jumped and reached the top of the United Nations building.

"That's so unfair," Peter commented as he approached the wall. "Just a hop and he's already got up there." Without waiting for an answer, he began to climb the wall quietly.

"And he still thinks the Hulk jumps are an injustice," Wanda said absently, watching Peter climb.

"I'm starting to get annoyed," Tony said. "This is taking longer than it should have.”

Even behind the armor, Steve knew the engineer was staring at him and his neck burned. _I need to work on this._ But how to control Tony's effects on him? There was no antidote for Tony Stark. There was only one option: to get more and more numb.

"If there's anyone who can find him, it's you," Steve said.

"I _will_ find him," Tony replied, floating above the ground. "And then we're going to travel."

Without another word, he went to New York City sky and disappeared.

"Is it only me, or he _really_ wants to travel?" Natasha mocked.

"Okay, that's enough," Steve said. "We have to find Thor and Ares before..."

"I found him." Tony's voice came out of the comms.

“What?” Steve couldn’t hide his disbelief. _How so fast?_

“He's at MoMA.”

“What about Ares?” Wanda asked.

"Knocked out and well-done, I would say.”

"We're going there," Steve said, heading toward the quinjet.

Three minutes later, all eleven Avengers were gathered around the unconscious but alive body of Ares.

“What happened?” Peter asked.

"We set out and ended up getting here," Thor said. "I could not use my lightning to stop him before."

"But you did when you two arrived, didn’t you?" Clint commented, looking at Ares's scorched body.

Thor shrugged.

“He fell from a considerable height and was bewildered. I took my chance.”

"What did he want here, anyway?" Bucky asked.

“Claiming the Earth as part of the ‘new Olympus’," Thor made the quotes in the air. “He and Hades were together in this scheme. I asked Heimdall to find Hercules, and he will be here soon to carry this loutish to have the judgment he deserves.”

"And the other gods?" Wanda asked.

"They were able to free themselves from the wicked clutches of Hades. He will also have the proper destination.”

As promised, Hercules came shortly afterwards to take Ares and the monsters back to the Greek world with promises to strengthen Tartarus's security and vigilance at Olympus, so that another such situation would not happen again.

"Once again, Captain," the demigod shook Steve's hand. "My apologies for the chaos my uncle caused. I hope to find you in friendlier situations.”

"Us too, Hercules," Steve smiled without showing his teeth. His energies were already at the end and he hadn’t much left to even try to be diplomatic. _I need to sleep._ With the party the night before, he had barely managed to rest. Not counting all those days with Tony away that made him extremely nervous and stressed, making him roam around the Tower like a zombie, fighting the urge to call Tony and say he was missing him.

"Knock knock," Steve blinked, coming back to reality, and found Tony with his face free of the armor, looking at him with an amused smile. "Is my Steve in there?"  


Steve smiled as his heart melted. _My Steve._

"I'm just tired," he admitted.

"Come on." Tony put an arm around Steve's shoulders and guided him to the quinjet. "You think you can get your energy back in two hours?"

Steve frowned, not understanding. He sat in one of the chairs in the quinjet and Tony stood in front of him, isolating the two of them from the rest of the team the best he could.

"I think it might be enough for now. Why?”

Tony undid Steve's helmet, pulled it off, and ran his fingers through the soldier's hair. Steve closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation.

"Because two hours is the time it will take to get to where we are going to spend our weekend without communication with the world.”

Steve smiled, but kept his eyes closed.

"You still haven’t told me where it is.”

Tony laughed softly.

“And I'm not going. It's a surprise.”

"And how will I know what to pack?"

"All you need to know is that you're going to need light clothes because it's hot there." Tony ducked down so that only Steve could hear. "Although I'm not sure if you'll have time to wear your clothes.”

Tony gave a quick kiss to Steve's face, pulled away and found that lustful look in Steve's eyes that was already becoming easy to differentiate from the others. That look was only Tony’s. Just _for_ Tony. He swallowed, trying to swallow the anxiety together.

"Hold on," Bucky warned from the front of the quinjet. “We're landing.”

They all got up and started to get off the plane toward the Tower, all exhausted and unworried to talk. Tony took Steve's arm.

“We leave in thirty minutes.”

"Alright," Steve grinned.

"Oh, _for God's sake,"_ Tony growled, pulling Steve up and kissing him.

Even with the armor covering his whole body, Tony could feel the warmth of Steve's body next to his, the pressure of the soldier’s hand on the curve of his back holding it in place, the force of his fingers on his hair, adjusting Tony's head at the right angle.

Tony fought the urge to continue kissing Steve and walked away, panting.

“The longer we stay here, the less weekend we will have.”

Steve nodded, panting as well.

“I'll meet you in the common area in thirty minutes.”

"Do not be late.”

"I'll _never_ be late again when it comes to you," Steve winked and turned, heading toward the Tower entrance, letting Tony slowly transform into a body purely made up of love and desire.

 _Let the countdown begin,_ Tony thought with a huge smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...
> 
> May the countdown to their weekend begin!
> 
> I hope you're able to calmly breathe until there (because from here the anxiety is very difficult to handle!)
> 
> See you soon!
> 
> xo


	7. Paradise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the weekend has finally arrived!
> 
> Our dear ones traveled to enjoy Tony's birthday gift for Steve, and if I can say it before we start, they've had a lot of fun.
> 
> And I hope you enjoy it too!
> 
> P.S.: this chapter has explicit content. ( ͡° ͜ ʖ ͡° ) You've been warned! :D

Tony never took a shower so fast and so long in his life. As anxiety took over every cell in his body, he wanted to make sure that every piece of skin had been cleaned and no trace of the Furies was on him.

"Friday, what time is it?"

"Eleven in the morning, boss.”

“How much time do I still have?”

"Fifteen minutes until the appointed time to meet with Captain Rogers."

"Shit." Fifteen minutes didn’t do much good. _We need to optimize things._ "Friday, pick the best clothes for the weekend while I change.”

“Immediately.”

"Let's see," Tony thought aloud. "Two hours on a plane..." He looked at his huge closet and decided on the basics: jeans, canvas shoes, a red T-shirt and a black coat. Tony looked at himself in the mirror. “Perfect. Friday, what do you have for me?”

“According to the schedule, these are the best options, boss.” Several hangers slipped out of the clothing rails, making swing the summer clothes that Friday had selected.

Tony watched the choices and let out a murmur of approval.

“Not bad.”

“Thanks.”

He took a handbag, folded the clothes, took the shoes Friday had chosen, put it all in, and froze at the closet door.

"Is there a problem, boss?"

Tony's heart had never beaten so fast. He leaned against the doorframe and let himself slip to the floor.

"I'm about to go out for a whole weekend with Steve Rogers, Friday.”

“And is that bad?” She asked.

Tony shook his head, his gaze lost somewhere far away.

“No.”

“So what's the problem?”

"And what if we get there, and when finally it's just the two of us, without any distraction, he realizes I'm a mistake?" Tony swallowed and felt his throat hurt with the knot that was forming.

"Boss, with all the data I have available for analysis, I do not see any scenario where that is possible or likely.”

"Why am I freaking out, Friday?"

"As far as I know, that qualifies as love, boss."

Tony lifted his head.

“What?”

"Your cortisol levels are higher than they ever were. Just like your serotonin levels, too. But there is a hormone that I have never identified in your analysis and that justifies all the other symptoms.”

“And which one is it?” Tony was startled to hear himself almost screaming.

“Oxytocin, boss.”

_The hormone of love._

"Of course," Tony said softly.

“Can I ask a question?” Friday asked.

“You can.”

"Do you want to go on this trip?"

Tony leaned his head on the doorframe behind him and sighed.

“That's all I want, Friday. I waited too long to let all this oxytocin flow through me,” he found himself smiling. “I _always_ felt all this oxytocin for Steve, I just never allowed myself to feel for real, and now that I can, I never want to deprive myself of the sensation.”

"Then why are you sitting in your closet talking to me when you could have left ten minutes ago for your trip with your boyfriend?" Friday asked.

Tony stopped.

_Boyfriend?_

“Boyfriend?” He tasted the word. It tasted new, unlike anything else, and just like Steve's kiss, it was good. More than good, delicious, and fit perfectly. “Boyfriend.”

"That's what you are, isn’t it?" Friday said. “Or was I mistaken?”

Tony stood up.

"I didn’t program you to be mistaken." He picked up his handbag and, with a large swallow of air, left the room.

Before he even entered the common area he had his free hand up, apologizing.

“I'm sorry for being late. I had some problems in the closet.” _That's not completely untrue._

Steve had his back to him, wearing khaki pants, navy blue T-shirt, and holding a coat of the same color in hand, facing the large windows, watching New York below. He turned and, _God, will it one day become easier to catch my breath?_

"No problem," he smiled. "We still have plenty of time.”

"You look tired, darling," Tony remarked. Steve had his eyes downcast and two dark circles were beginning to emerge beneath them.

"It's not easy to leave a party and fight an infernal dog," he shrugged. "But I'm fine.”

"Good thing my plane is comfortable," Tony said.

"Aren’t you gonna tell me where we're going?"

"No," Tony laughed.

"So I think we should go soon." Steve grabbed his own suitcase from the couch and came to where Tony was. "Curiosity is killing me.”

“Just curiosity?” Tony slowly licked his lips.

"Do that again and we won’t be able to even get on the plane," Steve said softly.

"Friday, tell Natasha we're leaving," Tony said in a squeaky voice. He cleared his throat. "Tell her we're going to be these days without any kind of communication and that's her who’s going to take care of everything around here.”

“Agent Romanoff asked to not be disturbed, boss.”

Tony frowned.

“Where is she?”

“In her room with Sergeant Barnes.”

Tony and Steve exchanged a look and laughed.

"Well, it looks like we're not the only ones who are going to enjoy the weekend," Tony said. "Anyway, give her the message when they are _available,_ Friday.”

“Yes, boss.”

"And let the others know we're leaving," Steve said.

"They're all asleep, Captain. It seems that this morning's fight required a lot from everyone.”

"Tell me about it," a yawn escaped Steve. "But warn them, will you? Especially Peter. We couldn’t talk yet after all that mess.”

"No problem, Captain. All messages will be delivered and the Tower will be kept in full operation in your absence.”

"Good girl," Tony said. "Happy has arrived?"

“He's downstairs, boss.”

“Great. See you soon, Friday. Take care of everything," Tony said as he stepped into the elevator.

“Have a good trip, boss.”

Thirty seconds later, Tony and Steve were in the car, with Happy driving to Tony's private hangar.

"Is the plane ready, Happy?" Tony asked.

“Yes, it is. Pierre is taking you there.”

“Perfect.”

“And where is ‘there’?” Steve asked, looking away from the window.

“Nah-ah!” Tony said loudly, before Happy could answer. “I know what you're trying to do here, but I won’t let you take advantage of Happy's weaknesses.”

“Hey!” Happy protested.

"Just keep driving," Tony told Happy. "And do not spoil my surprise.”

Happy snorted, but said nothing else for the rest of the ride.

"Don’t look so worried," Tony told Steve. He turned his hand, leaving the palm up as an invitation, and Steve put his hand over Tony's, entwining his fingers. “I promise you'll like it.”

"I know." Steve smiled weakly.

"So what's bothering you, baby?"

Steve leaned his head back on the seat, sighed, and looked at Tony.

"Do you think the world already knows about us?"

Tony frowned.

“What do you mean?”

Steve lifted their hand to eye level and kissed Tony's fingertips.

"After yesterday, it's no longer a secret to anyone that we're together."

"No, it's not," Tony smiled. "But I think the news hasn’t spread as you think.”

“Really? There were plenty of people at the party. And lots of cameras.”

"But no access to the internet," Tony smiled crookedly. "And I blocked all the signals. The cameras weren’t working.”

"Glad you're on the good side," Steve said with a smile.

"Even if someone, _after_ the party, tweeted about the two of us, there's no picture to prove. Besides, Pepper assured me that she would take care of everything until we decided to go public.”

"And we'll need it," Steve sighed wearily. "I just didn’t want to make it a feast for TMZ.”

Tony laughed.

"Hey, can we think about it when we get back?" He ran his free fingers by Steve's soft hair. "Only happy thoughts this weekend, okay?"

Steve nodded with his eyes closed. _I think I've found a weakness,_ Tony thought, watching the soldier relax under the touch of his fingers in his hair. _I'll take_ great _advantage of this._

"But I'm going to _love_ convening a press conference to announce to the whole world that I have the most incredible boyfriend anyone could have," Tony smiled absent-minded.

Steve opened his eyes immediately and stared at him.

“What's it?” Tony's smile disappeared.

“What did you call me?” Steve asked quietly, his eyes shining.

Tony cleared his throat.

“Boyfriend.”

 _Dammit, me and my huge mouth,_ Tony thought. _I spoke too soon._ Five seconds never took so long to pass. He stared at Steve without moving, afraid of... _something._ His heart was beating in slow motion, waiting. And then, Steve opened the most beautiful shy smile Tony had ever seen.

“Boyfriend?” Steve's neck was turning red. How lovely he was.

Tony took a deep breath and smiled lightly.

"Isn’t it what we are?"

Steve nodded slowly, smiling even more.

“It is. It's what we are, yes," he gripped Tony's face with his free hand and stroked it with his thumb. "Is it still my birthday and I don’t know?”

Tony laughed.

"We can work it out if you want."

Steve came over and stuck his forehead against Tony's, both breathing the same air.

“Boyfriend.”

Tony gave a quick kiss and smiled.

“Boyfriend.”

_I definitely became a teenager again._

At that moment, the car stopped and they pulled away. They were outside a large shed with huge gates open, and inside, a small white and red jet was already with the turbines on and the ladder lowered.

"We're here," Happy announced, "Pierre is waiting for you inside.”

"Thank you, Happy," Tony said. "We'll see you in two days.”

“I will be here.”

Tony and Steve got out of the car, grabbed their suitcases in the trunk, and walked to the plane. Tony stood with one foot on the first step of the ladder.

“Prepared for a whole weekend without any communication with the outside world?”

Steve smirked.

"Are you asking this for me or for yourself?"

Tony narrowed his eyes.

"It won’t be easy, I'll admit. But,” he leaned over Steve. “I count on _you_ to make me forget the technology, dear.”

Before Steve could reach him, Tony finished climbing the steps and got on the plane.

"Hello, Pierre," he greeted the pilot.

"Good morning, Mr. Stark," a middle-aged man poked his head out of the cabin and smiled. "Are you ready to take off?"

"You can’t imagine how much," Tony smiled.

"Great," the pilot said. "Will go Jacques and I here.”

The copilot appeared and nodded.

"Bonjour, Monsieur Stark.”

"He only speaks French, I'm sorry," Pierre apologized.

"Don’t worry," Tony dismissed him with a nod. "We don’t plan on talking much. It was a very tiring morning, so we’re gonna sleep back here.”

"No problem, Mr. Stark. I'll let you know when we're coming down, okay?”

“Thank you, Pierre. You can take off.”

The plane's door closed and Tony went to sit in front of Steve. The two watched from the windows on the plane taxiing down the runway and said nothing until the aircraft was in the air.

"Two hours to the destination," Pierre's voice came from the speakers. "Have a good trip.”

"Hey, gorgeous," Tony called out. Steve looked at him. "A dollar for your thoughts."

“At this moment?" Steve asked and Tony nodded. "Well, right now I'm thinking you're too far away.”

"Oh, so let’s fix this." Tony unbuckled his seatbelt and went to sit next to Steve, who was waiting for him with an outstretched arm. He lifted the armrest that divided the armchairs and snuggled into the hug Steve had opened for him.

"Much better," Steve said kissing the top of Tony's head.

"Rest," Tony said, wrapping an arm around Steve's waist. "And don’t worry about anything. The zero communication rule is already on.”

"You're already getting me too spoiled," Steve said, but his voice was already distant.

"All for my love." Tony felt Steve's chest rise and fall slowly and gain a quiet rhythm.

Tony felt his own eyes weigh and didn’t fight. _I must be beating all my sleep records these past few days._ But it was impossible not to let sleep come when he was hugging the best pillow in the world, with the most incredible and mesmerizing scent Tony had ever felt in his life and which, by a happy coincidence, was also the love of his life.

He was literally and figuratively in the sky.

______________

Tony woke with a jolt. His stomach was in his throat, and he needed a second to remember himself where he was.

"We're starting the landing process," Pierre's voice came from the loudspeakers.

 _Already?,_ Tony thought. He looked around, and he was still hugging Steve, who slept peacefully with his head bent over the back of the chair. Tony smiled slightly. _If there’s someone who deserves this rest, it is you, my dear._

Although Tony and Steve shared the leadership of the Avengers, everyone knew who really led them. It was to Steve that everyone turned to looking for guidance before, during, and after a battle. It was for Steve that everyone went looking for a partner to improve their fighting techniques. It was to Steve that SHIELD and the government sent their orders. All Tony did was design cool things in his lab to protect his family and make them more effective at fighting the bad guys. And eventually he helped save the day.

 _Steve would certainly disagree with all this,_ Tony thought with a smile. The soldier would probably say that Tony didn’t give himself enough credit and that he did much more for the Avengers than he thought. _Not as much as him. I just got the fun part._ That's why Tony would do everything in his power to make this weekend perfect, not just for him, but especially for Steve. _He deserves a bit of fun and quiet._

Tony looked out the small oval window and could see the mesmerizing blue immensity of the Atlantic Ocean beneath them.

"Five minutes to the landing," Pierre announced.

The butterflies in Tony's stomach came to life. _We're almost there._ He turned his gaze to Steve's face. _It's a shame to have to get you out of there. It seems quiet._ Tony sat up straight. _But it's time for a little excitement._

“Steve?” He called, running his fingers through the soldier's hair.

Steve sighed and opened his eyes.

"Time to wake up, honey," Tony smiled at him. "We're coming down."

“Are we there yet?” Steve sat up properly and stretched.

"Get ready for the landing," Pierre said over the loudspeakers. Soon after, the whole plane shook with the impact of the wheels touching the ground. A short time later, the aircraft was finally stopped and the door opened, releasing the ladder. Pierre put his head back out of the cabin. "Have a good time. Your car is waiting for you out there, Mr. Stark.”

"Thank you, Pierre." Tony got up and straightened his coat. "I'll see you in two days.”

"No delay, sir." Pierre nodded.

Tony turned to Steve.

“Let's go? Or would you rather stay here and come back to New York with Pierre?”

Steve got up and smiled.

"I wouldn’t miss the chance to know where you're taking me for nothing in this world."

"How lucky we are," Tony grabbed his bag and headed downstairs, with Steve following him closely. "We have only a little more than a mile to the final destination.”

Tony indicated the black 4x4 ahead. They threw the suitcases in the back seat and Tony took the wheel.

"I have no idea where we are, but it's beautiful," Steve commented, watching the landscape pass through the window.

They were passing by a rustic road of beaten sand, surrounded by incredibly green trees and colorful plants. It was cool, but very damp, and even with the air conditioning on, Tony already felt the effects of the heat in excess. And, for their luck - or not -, there was no rain forecast for that weekend.

"How's the heat?" Tony asked.

Steve shrugged.

“Manageable.”

Tony laughed.

“Manageable? Really?”

"The air tastes like salt, so I assume we're close to the sea," Steve looked at Tony. "Am I right?"

“You got it.”

"Then if the heat is too much we can go to the beach and enjoy the sea."

Tony thought about what Steve had just said and smiled.

"Not a bad idea, you know.” He turned in a closed curve and they entered the grounds of a house made of wood, not too large by Tony standards, with two stories and huge windows covered with white curtains. A little farther on, in the sand, two sun loungers next to a huge beach umbrella and the sea framing everything with its gradient shades of blue and green.

"Will you finally tell me where we are?" Steve stepped out of the car and Tony thought it was lovely to see the look of amazement marveling on his face staring out at the sea.

"We're on an island in the Caribbean.”

“Which one?”

“Mine.”

Steve looked away from the beach and faced Tony.

_“Yours?”_

Tony nodded with an amused smile.

“Mine.”

"Since when do you have an island?"

Tony shrugged.

"There’s been a while, but it was a secret. No one else knows it exists. Well, nobody else _knew,_ because now you know too.”

“This is crazy, Tony!” Steve laughed, still unable to believe. "Why didn’t you ever say anything before?"

Tony picked the suitcases in the trunk.

"Come on, let's go inside and I'll tell you," Tony reached out and Steve took it, entwining their fingers.

The house seemed to have come out of a catalog of planned furniture. Everything was planned to make the best use of space, to be functional, but still elegant. It was clear whom it belonged to. It would shout "Tony Stark" anywhere you looked.

"Downstairs we have the kitchen on the left," Tony pointed out as they passed the door. "The refrigerator is stocked and there's more food in the pantry. And there,” he pointed to the room on the right. “We have the living room. And I know what you're thinking,” he laughed. “The TV doesn’t have any kind of internet access. It serves purely and simply to watch the countless movies I have around here.”

"I didn’t say anything," Steve said innocently.

"Didn’t need to, my love. I know you." Tony pulled Steve toward one of the windows. "Out there we have a bathroom, by the time we're at the beach and stuff.”

“And up there?” Steve pointed to the stairs leaning against the opposite wall.

"The rooms are upstairs," the two exchanged an intense look, as if suddenly they had remembered why they were there. The butterflies in Tony's stomach went wild.

 _I need to calm down,_ Tony thought.

"Why don’t you take those things up there?" Tony pointed to the suitcases on the floor, "and you come back here? This heat is killing me and I need to drink something.”

Steve shrugged.

“Is it just go up?”

"Yes. You're going to run into a hallway and three doors. One of them is a bathroom. Choose the room you want.”

Tony tried to sound as unconcerned as he could and only allowed himself to let the air out and stop smiling when Steve was already at the top of the stairs.

_I'm going to explode._

He turned, went to the refrigerator, and held himself back so as not to enter the inviting cold that came from inside. He took two bottles of water, sat down on the huge counter that separated the kitchen from the living room and took off his coat.

_I had forgotten how hot it was here._

Tony leaned over, opened one of the drawers, and took the remote control of the air conditioning. Immediately the windows closed automatically, sealing the house in a pleasantly cool setting at sixty-eight degrees. He pushed his sneakers out of his feet and smiled.

 _Now it's me again,_ Tony thought, taking another sip of water, feeling calmer and more relaxed.

"That with the windows were you?" Steve asked, coming down the stairs, also barefoot and without his coat.

Tony smiled.

"I promised a weekend without communication with the rest of the world, but we're still in a house of mine, so I can’t promise zero technology, sweetheart.”

"Fair enough," Steve approached, picked up the bottle of water that Tony held out to him and took a good sip that left his lips wet and extremely inviting. "So you're going to finish the story about why no one else knows about this place?"

Tony set his water bottle aside, stretched out his legs and hugged Steve with them. The soldier's eyes darkened.

"Maybe later," Tony brought Steve closer with his legs, took the bottle from his hands and hugged him by the neck. "I have other plans now.”

Before Steve could say anything, Tony wrapped his fingers in his hair and pulled him, sticking their mouths together. Steve wrapped Tony in his arms and slid his hands down his back, finally without shame, without any fear of being caught. It was just the two of them and their desire for each other.

Steve let go of the kiss and, with the tip of his tongue, ran down Tony’s jawline until he reached the neck, when he exchanged his tongue for wet kisses that took out a soft moan from the engineer.

Tony's hands came alive, flew to the hem of Steve’s T-shirt, and pulled it up, revealing the soldier's glorious chest. Tony ran his fingers along the contours of Steve's muscles, making him shiver and return thirsty to Tony’s mouth.

Tony's thoughts had never been so incoherent as at that moment and he had never felt so numb and at the same time so extraordinarily alert and aware of every bit of his body being touched by Steve, how their tongues danced around each other, sipping each other's taste, how warm and soft Steve's skin was under his fingers, and how he'd never been so horny in his life.

He searched for Steve's belt and skillfully undid it. Steve groaned in Tony's mouth, who smiled in the kiss. _We're almost there, dear. But why the rush?_ Tony opened the button on Steve's pants and slowly lowered his zipper. He could already feel Steve's boner, fighting the fabric, but he held on. _Not yet. Let's explore the rest first._ With his pants loose enough, Tony slid his hands to Steve's ass and slipped a hand through the fabric. His hand covered one of the cheeks and Tony squeezed it.

“Mmm, _Tony!”_ Steve gasped in Tony's mouth, sending a boost right to Tony's cock, hard enough now.

"Talk to me, my love," Tony said, tilting his neck to give Steve access, which sucked in a particularly sensitive spot. Tony moaned loudly.

Instead of talking, Steve slipped his hands under Tony and lifted him from the counter, holding him to his body. Tony tightened his legs around his waist. Without stopping kissing, sucking and exploring Tony's mouth and neck, Steve turned and walked up the stairs, toward the far door in the hallway. Inside the room, Steve put Tony on his feet gently and pulled away enough to run his fingers through Tony's messy hair, which shivered with the soft touch.

"You're still too dressed, Stark," Steve said softly, his voice more husky than Tony had ever heard. His mouth watered.

"Why don’t you do the honors and help me?" Tony asked with a mischievous smile.

Without waiting for another invitation, Steve took off Tony's shirt, threw it away, and leaned over to traverse Tony's chest with kisses, past his collarbone, through his abdomen and back to kiss the scars of the arc reactor. Tony swallowed. With all that excitement, he had forgotten this small but important detail. He had always been confident about his own body, but no one had ever done anything like that. Steve kissed the scars almost with devotion, with a delicacy that left Tony out of breath - and this had nothing to do with the heat of the moment. Tony had never felt so naked and so safe in his life. Steve would never hurt him. There was only love.

"You're beautiful," Steve looked up at Tony again and smiled, kissing Tony before his hands moved to deal, with skill, with the button and zipper. And with a jerk, pants and underwear were on the floor. Tony gasped as his dick popped out, and he did the same with Steve's pants and disengaged from his, kicking them away.

He sighed into Steve's mouth as their bodies touched. Skin with skin, heat with heat, not a bit softened by the cold air of the air-conditioning. Tony's brain was a mess of many "yes," "finally," and "it's better than I could ever have imagined." Some time later he would try to describe the feeling of having Steve naked in his arms and wouldn’t be able. Tony could only let his hands lead the way and hope his brain was recording everything.

But all of Tony's incoherent thoughts silenced when Steve wrapped his cock with his huge, warm hand and slowly, started thrusting his length up and down.

"Oh, Steve," he wanted to scream, but Tony could only grab Steve's hair tight.

"You're _so_ beautiful," Steve said somewhere close to his ear.

Tony felt Steve's hand slide more easily with the precome that started leaking from him and that only made him get harder.

"That-That's still _your_ gift." Tony managed to find the right words to form a coherent phrase while Steve's hand involved his balls. “It’s you who should enjoy it.”

"But I'm enjoying it, my love." Steve smiled, leaving a trail of kisses on Tony's shoulder and making him go mad with the contrast of Steve's cold breath against his warm skin.

“ _God,_ Steve!” Tony let his head fall on Steve's shoulder when the soldier stroked the head of his cock, completely covered with his precome. “I-I won’t be able to hold it back much longer.”

“Then don’t, baby. Let it go for me.”

Steve bit Tony's earlobe and that was enough. With a cry of pure pleasure, Tony came like never before in Steve's hand. He felt all the tension come out of him along with the white jets, leaving behind only pleasure, love, and an immense willingness to leave Steve's legs as shaky as his were at that moment.

Tony blinked a few times to see clearly again and found himself clutching Steve's shoulders like he was his lifesaver. Tony paused to catch his breath and thought better of it. _He's not my lifesaver. Steve_ is _my life._

"You're incredible," Steve kissed Tony's cheek.

Tony pulled away and smirked.

“You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Taking advantage of the fact that he was clinging to Steve's shoulders, Tony turned him, guided him to the huge bed behind them, and, still smiling, shoved Steve toward the soft mattress. The soldier laughed and Tony found himself thinking he could hear Steve laughing forever. It was a wonderful sound and Tony barely heard it while they were living their life as Earth protectors.

Steve snuggled up on the pillows and leaned on his elbows to watch Tony slowly crawl over his body, all the while staring at the soldier's eyes until he stopped his face a few inches from Steve's and breathed the same air. Tony leaned over and bit Steve's lip, who smiled.

"Let's see if the rest of you tastes as good as your mouth, baby," Steve groaned and Tony started going down his body, savoring every bit of skin his mouth reached.

He started with the jawline and went down, until reaching the base of the neck.

"Hmmm, you taste great, baby," Tony said in a husky, hushed voice, "but we'll see the rest, will we?"

Tony continued his exploration through the soldier's body by his collarbone and stopped when he reached Steve's already stubbly nipple. Tony snorted lightly at it, causing the skin around to shiver with the temperature contrast, and then sucked on the nipple willingly. Steve threw his head back and moaned loudly. A shiver of satisfaction rushed through Tony's body, which intensified the stimuli of his tongue. He moved to the other nipple, but continued to tease the first with his fingers.

"Oh, Tony," Steve whispered.

Leaving his nipples, Tony kept coming down with his mouth by Steve’s body drawn to perfection and stopped when it reached just below the navel.

"So far it's been the best thing I've ever tasted," he said, and looked at Steve with a mischievous grin and wet his lips with his tongue. Steve's eyes darkened even more, leaving less than fine blue circles around his pupils. "But we're not done yet, are we?"

Steve shook his head and Tony laughed.

"Good thing we agreed." He ran his fingers down Steve's leg, from knee to thigh, making the exposed skin shiver, and squeezed. Steve's breathing was quick and uneven. Without pausing too long there, Tony kept sliding his hand until he reached Steve's balls. Tony held them gently and stroked, making Steve drop the most delicious "Ah!" Tony had ever heard.

Encouraged by the sounds of Steve, Tony finally hold the soldier's cock and, without waiting for a confirmation, he licked all that length.

 _“Tony!”_ Steve screamed and fell back on the pillows.

Tony smiled and, returning to the cock's head, he took it in his mouth and sucked hard.

"Oh, my God… Tony... _Please..._ " Steve said with his eyes closed and his hands gripping the sheets tightly.

Tony had never seen Steve begging and _definitely, this is a look that suits him._ And his cock agreed. Tony was already half-hard.

Without loosening his mouth, Tony came down, slowly swallowing all Steve's length, until he felt it touch the back of his throat. Steve moaned loudly. Tony came back to the beginning and, with the help of his hand, began to suck Steve as if the world were about to end and that was his only salvation.

Taking advantage of every second, Tony jerked and sucked, moved away to catch his breath, but always teasing the cock’s head with his thumb, only to go back and swallow it all up again. Steve, in turn, moaned and sighed, holding Tony's hair tightly, moving his hips toward the warmth and wetness of Tony's mouth.

Tony felt the cock beginning to leak its precome and intensified his thrusts.

"Tony." Steve's voice was a short whisper.

"Talk to me, my love," Tony rose as high as he could, still jerking Steve's cock.

"I _need_ you in me." Steve was panting and his skin began to glow with sweat, but his gaze to Tony was intense and filled with the purest desire.

“Oh, my God, Steve,” Tony's own dick throbbed.

Tony let go of Steve and crawled up to reach for the bedside table. He opened the single drawer, took the lube that was inside and returned to the middle of Steve's legs. While he thrusted Steve’s cock with one hand, he has greased his fingers, and with the first, he gently touched Steve's rim.

“Ah, _Tony!_ Please, I-I...” Steve was a mess of beautifully incongruence and Tony kept teasing his entrance. Without warning, he slipped one finger inside Steve, making the soldier throw his head back and open his mouth in a silent cry. Tony thrusted his finger a few times and then added the second, never stopping jerking Steve's cock.

“How does it feel, my love?” Tony asked with a low and sexy voice.

“Please, do- _don’t_ stop,” Steve's eyes were closed and his mouth was open, trying to catch his breath, not at all being successful at that.

Tony kept thrusting, until Steve cried loud when Tony found his sweet spot and stayed there for a while, teasing.

“Tony,” Steve called powerless.

“Yes, my love?”

“Fuck me.”

Tony's own cock leaked as he heard those words coming from Steve. _I'm_ definitely not _dreaming, right?_

"Would we need any protection?" Tony had to be sure. "'Cause I assure you I'm all clean, sweetheart." 

"I can't catch anything," Steve managed to smile between his hard breathes. "Super-soldier serum bonus. Besides, I trust you." 

"Well, thank you super-soldier serum," Tony took off his fingers, greased his own cock with lube and positioned himself in Steve's entrance.

“Don’t think, baby,” Steve said, finally looking at Tony. “Enjoy the love.”

With those words, Tony gently slid his cock in Steve and they both groaned loudly when Tony was fully inside Steve.

“ _God,_ this is...” Tony intended to speak, but he never finished his sentence, because Steve started moving his hips against Tony's, demanding, desiring, needing. So Tony started moving himself. He rested his hands on either side of Steve's head and leaned over the soldier. Steve's hands came out of the torpor and embraced Tony, rising and falling down his body, loving him. Tony bent down and gave Steve a slow and passionate kiss.

Tony moved until the two found their own pace, intense and panting, with the room being filled with the sounds of groans, screams, and skin to skin on every thrust of Tony in Steve. Steve grabbed Tony's ass and kept that rhythm up, until Tony hold Steve’s cock with one of his hands, and started moving up and down.

“Please, Tony...” Steve panted. _"Don’t stop."_

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare, sugar.”

And, when Tony hit the right spot, Steve let go a loud cry calling Tony, and came. He came all over his belly and Tony's hand, but the sight of Steve's orgasm face was enough to make Tony came too. And he did it hard, harder than before, all inside Steve.

Tony bent down and kissed Steve long and deeply, trying to say how happy, satisfied and complete he was at that moment. How he wanted time to stop to hold that moment forever, their sweaty bodies glued together; their foreheads leaning against each other, with the two trying to catch their breath lost in the best possible way; Steve's gasp as Tony slid out of him; his slow and sex-loving kiss and love. How he wanted to save Steve for himself and never again have to share him with anyone.

But common sense spoke louder and Tony found himself pulling away and getting out of bed, heading toward the bedroom bathroom. There, he took a clean towel, dipped it in the sink faucet, and returned to the room. He climbed onto the bed, sitting on his heels beside Steve.

"Let's clean you up," Tony smiled as he wiped the towel over Steve's body, wiping away all cum and sweat.

"You're so good to me," Steve said softly, with a tired smile, but a beautifully contented one.

Tony finished cleaning Steve and himself, set the towel on the floor beside the bed, and crawled into the embrace Steve had opened for him. Steve turned around so they were facing each other, hugged him with his free arm, and Tony snuggled into the crook of his arm.

"You make me want to be good," Tony finally said. "It's all for you."

Steve stroked Tony's face and smiled.

"Then I think we are good to each other."

He came over and gave Tony a quick kiss. Tony tangled up his legs with Steve's and let out a sigh of satisfaction.

"Will you finally tell me why no one else knows about this place?"

Tony laughed.

"Your curiosity is limitless, huh?"

Steve shrugged and started stroking Tony's arm with no pattern at all.

"It's not my fault if I date someone full of surprises.”

A delicious shiver, which had nothing to do with Steve's touch, took over Tony's body. _"I_ date _someone full of surprises,"_ Tony thought carefully about this moment, to keep it to relive later. _If this is a dream, let me sleep forever._

"After I bought this island and built this house," Tony began, "I realized it wasn’t a place to bring any person." Tony ran his fingers through Steve's hair, who closed his eyes and made a noise of pleasure. “It wasn’t the place to have a party for friends and even less a place for one night stands” Tony paused. “I realized that it was a special place and that I would only bring here who really was important, who really was worth it.” Steve opened his eyes and they faced each other. “I would only bring here someone I _loved_ with all my heart.”

Tony smiled, suddenly shy. Steve reached up to cup Tony's cheek and caressed it with his thumb.

"That's why you're here, Steve," Tony continued with a little smile. "That's why this is _our_ place now. Only ours. No one else in the world knows about here. It’s our private paradise.”

"My paradise is you, my love," Steve smiled and Tony thought he had never seen so much love on someone's face. Even less directed at him. “Wherever you are, then I'll be the happiest man in the world.”

"I love you," Tony heard himself say to Steve for the first time.

"I love you," Steve said back and approached for a kiss.

And Tony never imagined that he would know so well as a firework feel.

Not until that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it for now.
> 
> I'll leave you guys enjoying the weekend on the island with them.
> 
> Let me know if you like it (know I love your comments!)
> 
> See ya
> 
> xo <3


	8. A Real Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a long time, but I finally got to finish what became the last chapter. It took longer than I planned because I couldn't find an ending that suited me and that lived up to the story as I believe it deserved. Now I finally got it and the time of year couldn't be better.
> 
> I hope you enjoy my Christmas gift for you this year!
> 
> Oh! Let me warn you: EXPLICIT CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER! <3

Tony opened his eyes, but he had to blink a few times to make sure he was really wide-eyed because there was no light around. He moved and immediately smiled when he felt his body awake and realized that his legs were curled into other legs, that he was protected inside strong arms and that the heat he felt came from no blanket because he was completely naked, but of the other body to which he was glued. Steve's body, sleeping soundly beside him.

 _My Steve,_ Tony thought wishing there was any light source that would allow him to watch Steve sleeping. _What time is it?,_ the practical part of his brain soon woke up too and came to dominate and, along with it, Tony's stomach. Remembering in the last instant that Friday was not present, Tony decided to go down to the kitchen. Doing all he could to keep Steve sleeping, he squirmed to get out of his embrace, got out of bed and groped across the floor until he found the piece of clothing with the fabric that most resembled a pair of underwear. Still relying on his touch, Tony put on the piece of clothing, hoping the underwear was not inside out, and went down the stairs to the kitchen, turning on the lights on the first floor along the way.

The digital clock on the wall in the living room indicated that it was past seven at night. Tony went toward the refrigerator in search of something to eat and stumbled upon something soft on the floor. He smiled a little when he saw what it was. _After everything we've done, I'm not surprised that we slept for so long,_ he thought, putting on Steve's shirt that was on the floor. The piece was huge on Tony, larger at least two numbers, but the smell of Steve impregnated in it made him close his eyes for a moment and enjoy.

 _Very well,_ Tony came back to himself, focusing on the refrigerator. _Food._ There was everything in there, so he ended up deciding on the basics, eggs and bacon. _You can’t go wrong with eggs and bacon, right?_ Tony switched on the stove, picked up the frying pan in the cupboard, and left it warm as he turned on the coffee machine and watched the grains being milled at once. The smell of coffee filled the air and Tony returned to the eggs, which were quickly ready, along with the bacon.

Tony set it all down - a large dish with eggs and bacon, cutlery and two mugs with fresh coffee - on a tray and climbed back up to the room. He turned on the hallway light and looked inside. Steve was still asleep in the same position Tony had left him, but now he could see him, his arms hidden under the pillow, his mouth slightly open, his hair messed up in a golden nest, his back rising and falling slowly, his slender body stretched flat on his bed, as if Michelangelo's David had grown tired of being a statue and had become a real man, and now was laying on Tony's bed. _So perfect,_ Tony thought, entering the room. _So mine._

He set the tray on the nightstand beside the bed, climbed up onto the mattress, and crawled to one leg on either side of Steve's sleeping body. Tony leaned on his hands and bent down to kiss the base of the soldier's back and didn’t stop with the trail of passionate kisses until he reached his neck when Steve finally moved beneath him and smiled without opening his eyes.

"Hi," he said softly, his voice heavy with sleep.

Tony kissed Steve on the cheek, but didn’t leave him.

“Hi.”

“What time is it?”

Tony let the weight of his body fall slowly on Steve, who didn’t protest, and slid his hand under the pillow to entwine his fingers on the soldier’s, who smiled.

"Almost nine," Tony said, kissing behind Steve's ear. "I made food for us.”

"The smell is great," Steve said in a slightly clearer voice.

"I hope the taste is as good as the smell," Tony chuckled. "I'm going to get off of you now.”

Tony started to pull away, but Steve caught hold of the hand they held, holding him close. In a movement too fast for someone who was waking up, Steve pulled Tony back onto the bed and rolled to the side at the same time, facing Tony.

"Why going so fast, Mr. Stark?" Steve smirked, clutching Tony's waist, gluing him to his naked body.

Tony's mouth watered.

"Your food will get cold," Tony managed, for the first time not giving a damn about coffee.

"I think the food can wait a little." Steve leaned closer and kissed Tony, who sighed. He squeezed his fingers in Steve's hand he was holding, while his other hand slid through Steve's messy hair, his back, until he reached his butt, completely naked, exposed and waiting for Tony, who squeezed it willingly, Steve's groan reverberating throughout Tony's mouth.

Tony inhaled sharply as he felt the vibration of Steve's groans reach his crotch and then he smelled coffee in the air. _The food,_ a far part of his brain screamed. Taking advantage that Steve was exploring his neck with his tongue - _God, that's delicious!_ \- Tony forced himself to open his eyes and inhale more often, feeling the scent of the coffee and letting the caffeine pull him out of the wonderful torpor that Steve was taking him to.

"Steve..." Tony started, not wanting to finish. "Your coffee will get cold.”

Steve slowed and went back to Tony's mouth for a last kiss, deep and passionate, full of love, that took from Tony all the rest of the breath he had left.

"Did you really cook for us?" Steve asked, moving away enough to face Tony.

Tony sat on the bed, trying to catch his breath and nodded.

"I know how to do more than build armors and win poker games, you know.”

Steve smiled.

“You are wonderful.”

"Only for those who deserve." Tony winked at him.

"Can the coffee hold up until I get back from the bathroom?"

Tony rolled his eyes, but he smiled.

"I think coffee can make that sacrifice."

Steve got up and, giving Tony a last kiss, disappeared into the bathroom. Tony reached out to push the switch and turn on the room light, and took the tray, which he carefully placed on the bed. The smell of the coffee was delicious, and Tony allowed himself a sip of his mug, which was still hot enough. Not caring much about the fork, he pinched a few pieces of scrambled egg with his fingers and was surprised by the taste.

_And isn’t it that I have a flair to cook?_

The bathroom door opened and Tony heard Steve's footsteps coming toward the bed, just stopping to sit facing him in bed. He was covered in a soft white robe, wide-awake, his face fresh and washed, his hair brushed back, his blue eyes glittering at Tony. No. Not at Tony, but for what Tony was _wearing._

"You’re in my shirt."

Tony stopped with his egg-filled hand halfway to his mouth and looked down.

“It was lying on the kitchen floor. I thought I could find a use for it." He stuck the eggs in his mouth and smiled mouthful.

"It suited you," Steve said.

Tony laughed.

“Some numbers larger than ideal, I would say.”

"How many times do you have to listen that you look amazing on anything you wear?" Steve finally looked into Tony's eyes.

“From you?” Tony pouted, pretending to think. "Whenever possible."

Steve smiled beautifully.

"You look amazingly beautiful in everything you wear, Tony.”

"I can get so used to it, you know that?" Tony handed the other coffee mug to Steve.

Steve took a sip and frowned.

“To what?”

"To this," Tony waved his hand between them. "Me, you, breakfast in bed, change the day into the night because losing ourselves into one another is a far more interesting alternative than controlling the clock..."

"Half of these things you already have." Steve ate a strip of bacon, pretending nonchalance. "You and me. The rest happens wherever we are. 'Cause I'll always be here as long as you want me.”

Tony's heart squeezed. Was it possible that there was still some doubt within Steve that he was everything Tony had always wanted and needed? Could he think that everything that had happened in the last few days, in the last hours, could be somehow temporary? Did Steve have any doubts that Tony loved him with all his soul? Tony put his mug back on the tray, pushed it far enough to give him passage, and careful not to spill everything, crawled over Steve, took the mug from his hands and climbed into his lap, one leg on each side, trapping the soldier underneath. Steve grabbed Tony's waist and smiled.

"Now listen carefully, because I'm only going to say it once," Tony said seriously, holding his face in his hands. Steve's smile disappeared and he nodded, understanding that Tony was serious. “I'll always want you around. And you know why? Because I love you, Steven Grant Rogers. I'll _always_ love you." Tony took one of Steve's hands and placed it on his chest, over his heart, and held it there. "Feel that? Do you feel my heart beat? That's good, because I would hate that it was broken now that he's finally healthy and happy. All because of you. It's yours, Steve. It’s for you to do whatever you want with it. Never again doubt that what we have here may end one day because it cannot and will not." Tony stroked Steve's face. "We've been through a lot, and we're still here. All we can do now is make up for the time we have not taken before.”

"What have I done to deserve someone like you?" Steve asked and Tony's heart warmed at the sound of his voice.

Tony came over and kissed Steve. No hurry, no lust, no despair. Only love and surrender, with the intimacy that they always had, but never could, in fact, have.

"You loved me," Tony said to Steve's lips as he stroked his golden hair. "And you loved me so much and for so long that the universe could not remain indifferent to such a beautiful and enduring feeling.”

"I love you," Steve said. "I really do.”

Tony smiled.

“I know, my love. And I love you, too. More than I can tell.” Steve hugged him tightly and buried his face into the curve of Tony's neck, breathing in slowly and deeply.

They held each other for a few moments, but soon Tony's stomach came back to life, making him remember the tray of food forgotten on the bed.

"As much as I hate to spoil the moment, I think our food has cooled.”

The two of them turned away and looked at the plate on the tray, where eggs and slices of bacon lay forgotten and looking deplorable. Tony moaned in frustration. His food had been _really_ good.

"And I'm still hungry," Tony said, still looking sadly at what was left of his feast.

"We can cook again," Steve suggested.

Tony looked at him.

"Are you going to cook with me?"

Steve shrugged.

"Why not? I can do something for you this time.”

Tony's mouth watered. Steve was an excellent chef. _Is there anything that he isn’t good at?_

“Really? What, for example?”

“You choose. Besides, I have no idea what's in the refrigerator," Steve laughed.

Tony thought a little, visualizing everything he had asked to bring to the island, but couldn’t make up his mind. Steve was really good at cooking everything. He kissed Steve's cheek, stepped off of the bed, picked up the tray on the way, and walked to the bedroom door.

“You’re not coming?” He asked looking at Steve, who got up immediately and followed him down the stairs to the kitchen where Tony discarded the cold food in the trash and set the plate and cutlery in the sink.

"So, what will it be?" Steve asked with half his body hidden by the refrigerator door.

Tony approached him and looked at the contents of the refrigerator once more, his eyes stopping at some potatoes.

"How about steak with potatoes?" He suggested, his mouth filling with water imagining the taste of the dish.

Steve shrugged and smiled.

"Of course, whatever you want."

They picked up the ingredients and, as Steve cut the potatoes and prepared the meat, Tony went to the coffeemaker and poured himself another mug.

"What do you need me to do?" Tony asked standing next to Steve.

"You already cooked for me today." Steve leaned over and kissed Tony's face. "Let me cook for you now. Only your company is enough for me.”

Tony set his coffee mug on the counter and, with an impulse, sat on it with his legs folded one over the other.

"Is it okay if I stand here watching you?"

Steve smiled.

"I don’t think I've ever cooked with such a beautiful view."

Tony tried to think of a funny answer, but he couldn’t. The normalcy and calm of that scene left him breathless. It was something he could get used to. It was something he _wanted._

Just over an hour later, Steve was serving two plates of succulent steaks and colored potatoes on the counter. He pushed one of the dishes and a glass of cold water into Tony's direction and pulled up a tall bench to sit beside him. Tony stuck a potato and let out a soft moan as he put it in his mouth.

"Where did you learn to cook like that?" He stared at Steve, who was halfway to putting a piece of steak in his mouth. He lowered his fork and thought for a moment.

"The basics I learned from my mother when I was little. I think she knew how important it was that I knew how to do a little about everything,” Steve lifted his fork and ate the piece of steak, savoring it. “After leaving the ice I took the free time to try new things and here we are.”

"You're doing a great job," Tony said with his mouth full and Steve laughed.

They ate in silence for a while, only with the sound of the waves outside framing the ambience. When they were finished, Steve collected the plates and glasses and put them into the sink. He stared at Tony.

“What's it?” Tony asked.

"What’s your thing with sitting on the counter?" Steve stepped back to Tony's side, but didn’t sit up.

Tony whirled, letting his legs hang over the edge of the counter.

“I see better from up here. And it's far more spacious than any bench." He spread his arms, showing the immaculate, long, wide marble with only Tony occupying a part of the large space.

Steve followed Tony's movement and nodded.

"Yeah, you get the perfect height up there." He moved enough to stand between Tony's legs, which wasted no time and stuck Steve between them.

Steve gripped Tony's waist, Tony wrapped his fingers around Steve's hair and they both stared.

"You know, I'm thinking about something," Steve leaned over and began to follow the line of Tony's jaw with the tip of his nose, causing shivers all over Tony's body. "If this counter is really spacious or if you're just a good salesman.”

"Why don’t you come up here and find out?" Tony gasped as Steve came to the crook of his neck.

Steve was back to Tony's face with dark eyes and full of desire and Tony felt his mouth water.

"Do you want me to come up?" Steve asked hoarsely.

Tony brought Steve closer, sticking their bodies together, and pressed his waist in Steve's, rubbing the two erections that were no longer concealed beneath the fabrics.

"We all want it, dear.”

With a grunt, Steve climbed onto the counter and Tony was already with his hands on the waistband of his robe, undoing the knot and leaving him gloriously naked. Steve leaned over Tony, making him lie down on the counter, hooked his fingers into Tony's underwear and slid it slowly down his legs.

"Is this some new method of torture?" Tony asked, standing up on his elbows to watch Steve, who smirked.

"The torture has not yet begun,” without giving Tony time to process what was happening, Steve bent down and involved Tony's cock with his mouth and sucked.

 _“Oh, fuck, Steve!”_ Tony said loudly.

Slowly, Steve licked Tony's length, like he was the best popsicle in the world, going up and down, sucking the balls with patience, making the cock grow harder and harder, and coming back to pay attention to the head, now leaking precome, which Steve licked almost with devotion.

Tony moaned loud and gripped Steve's hair.

“Gosh, Steve, this is... This is _maddening.”_

Steve looked up to meet Tony's gaze and smiled.

“You look so beautiful from up here, you know,” Tony said panting.

Steve lightly smiled and intensified his moves, sucking hard now, making Tony shiver, no longer being able to stand on his own elbows, and needing to lie on the counter, moaning loudly and moving his hips toward Steve's mouth in a hurry.

“Steve...” Tony's voice was just a whisper.

Arching his body, Tony came in Steve's mouth with a cry. Taking everything that Tony gave to him, without dropping a single drop, Steve released Tony's cock and admired Tony's figure, lying on the counter, wide-eyed, panting, his hair a total mess, his face glistening with sweat, and an expression of pure pleasure in his eyes and face. _Not a bit like the serious and cold Tony Stark from the magazine covers._ That thought made Steve smile.

“You look much more incredible and tasteful than in my dreams, you know.”

Recovering from his orgasm, Tony smirked.

“Oh, yeah? So you mean Captain America _really_ dreamed with me?”

"All the time." Steve let one leg hang over the edge of the counter and, folding the other, sat between Tony's legs.

Tony leaned on his elbows and stared at Steve still smiling crookedly.

"And can I know what those dreams were like?"

Steve thought for a moment.

“Depending on the day, their intensity changed. If we had spent the day together, in my dreams I would take you to the bedroom and sometimes we would just kiss, other times we would make love. But if some fight had taken place that day, the dream was always more intense.”

“Intense how?” Tony began to climb up with his foot down Steve's leg that was off the counter.

“It always ended in sex. But it was...” Steve's neck turned red showing that he had suddenly become shy. Tony thought it was amazing how he managed to get out of a sensational blowjob and turn red describing an erotic dream. “Hmmm... It was always wild, so to speak. Neither of us spoke much, but always had a lot of mouth, teeth and you...”

"I what, my dear?" Tony was extremely curious now that Steve had suddenly stopped.

Steve sighed and swallowed hard.

"And you always ended up screaming my name."

 _Wow,_ Tony thought. Of course Steve had already said that he loved him countless times since they finally had the courage to open up for each other. But the desire, well, Tony hadn’t imagined it was as intense as all the rest. And if it was possible, that made him love and want Steve even more and only for him forever.

"Do it," Tony said.

“What?” Steve frowned.

"Do as you would in one of your dreams." Tony sat up, took off Steve's shirt he was wearing, and hugged Steve’s neck. "Here, now. Make me scream your name.”

With a grunt, Steve kissed him and Tony was surprised by his ability to make a sweet and delicate kiss turn into something dirty and sexy so fast. But Tony wasn’t complaining. Ah, no, far from it. He was loving every second, every stronger grip of Steve's hands on his skin, every hickey at the base of his neck, every breathless groan in his ear as Tony fingered his back. Without communicating what he was about to do, Steve laid Tony back on the marble, came down, and holding Tony by the waist, pulled him to the edge of the counter.

"Don’t move," he said and disappeared from Tony's sight.

 _Jesus, Steve, where are you?,_ Tony was going crazy, breathing erratically, needing Steve's body stuck to his, but he didn’t dare to move. _If he asked me to stand still, he has very specific pl-_

Tony gasped out of his thoughts in shock, which soon turned into a sequence of incongruous and growing moans. Steve was back, with Tony's feet supported in his shoulders, his hands in Tony's butt, opening his cheeks to give him free and complete access to his hole, where he arrived without further warning with his tongue.

“Oh, my _God,_ where did you learn these things?” Tony asked, but not sure if he was really asking something. He was lost in his own pleasure, with Steve licking and teasing his rim, slowly loosening him.

Steve licked until reaching Tony's balls, where he stopped for a while, and slid a finger into Tony, that moaned loud and arched his body.

“Oh, _yes!”_

When Steve added a second finger and began scissoring, while kept sucking Tony's balls and cock, all covered with precome, their eyes met.

“If this is your dream, please _do not_ wake up,” Tony managed to say.

Steve released his cock and he drew his fingers from inside Tony, who moaned in protest, but he stood up and leaned over Tony with one hand on either side of his head and Tony could see that Steve was holding something in one hand. He smiled.

"Where did that come from?" He asked looking at the bottle of lube.

"I brought it from the bedroom into the pocket of the robe," Steve said with a shrug. "Precaution.”

“God bless America," Tony said with a small smile.

And that was the last coherent sentence that Tony could say, because to feel Steve's cock inside him completely numbed him, leading him to a state of completeness that Tony never imagined could be achieved. Steve moved slowly back and forth, back and _forth..._ with a guttural moan from the back of his throat and so they gained pace. Tony wrapped his legs around Steve's waist, giving both of them a better angle, causing each and every thrust of Steve to reach Tony's prostate in exactly the right place, making him see stars, while with one hand, Tony reached for his own cock. Steve bent down and sipped Tony's moans with deep and passionate kisses, went down to the base of his neck, where surely some marks would appear denouncing the hickeys, and then he felt that he was near to come and increased the pace. Tony also increased the speed in his own cock and they were in the same pace now. With his free hand, Tony gripped Steve's neck tightly and felt his body tighten.

“Yes! Yes! _Yes,_ please, don’t stop, _don’t stop! Oh-oh!_ I'm-I'm... _STEVE!!!"_

With a few more thrusts, not much after, Steve came all inside Tony, realizing that he had just lived one of his most lustful dreams for real, with the love of his life. And he almost came again. Neither of them said anything for a while. They just stood there, trying to catch their breaths and their energies. After what seemed like eternity, Steve stepped out from inside Tony, who sighed at the change, held Tony by the waist and headed toward the TV room, where he sat on the couches and snuggled Tony to his side, in a hug.

“How are you?” Steve asked.

"Needing a shower," Tony said with a giggle.

Steve laughed.

“Yeah, me too.”

"Was it like your dream?" Tony asked after a while.

"It was better," Steve said without even thinking. Tony shifted and faced him. "In my dream it wasn’t real, as much as I wanted it to be. Now I can touch you for real,” Steve stroked Tony's face. “I can really kiss you,” he came over and gave Tony a quick kiss. “I can stay with you for real,” Steve smiled and Tony smiled back. “So everything I'm living right now is way better than any dream I might have had.”

"Isn’t it amazing that reality is better than a dream?" Tony snuggled back into the crook of Steve's arm.

"Tell me something that is not impressive when it comes to Tony Stark." Steve kissed the top of Tony's head, which laughed.

“Well, even if the reality is incredible and everything, I hope we can repeat these dreams more often. Your fertile imagination is very inviting.”

Steve chuckled loudly.

"I'm glad you liked it."

"More than _I_ thought I would, dear."

They sat on the couch for some more time than any of them counted, listening to the sound of the sea outside, with Tony caressing Steve's leg and Steve lightly tapping his fingers on Tony's arm with no pattern.

 _Wait a minute,_ Tony stopped to pay attention. _There is a pattern._

_Dot Dot Dot Dash Dot Dot Dot Dot Dash_

.. / .-.. / ..-

_I L U_

_I love you_

_Steve is saying he loves me in Morse code,_ Tony thought with his eyes getting warm. _Well, let's tell him about the feelings from this side._

_Dot Dot Dot Dash Dot Dot Dot Dot Dash Dot Dot Dash Dash Dash_

.. / .-.. / ..- / ..---

_I L U 2_

_I love you too_

"You noticed," Steve said in an amused voice.

Tony stepped back and looked at him, smiling.

"You saying you love me? It could be a sign in space, my love, I'll notice it.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Steve got up and held out his hand.

"Come on, let's take a shower and rest. Tomorrow I want to enjoy the beach with you.”

Tony held his outstretched hand and stood up, too.

"Do you really want to leave this pleasant environment?"

Steve made a face at him.

"You have an island and don’t want to take advantage of the beautiful beach you have on it?"

Tony grunted.

"Okay," he paused at the top of the stairs. "But on second thought, it might even be a good idea.”

“See?” Steve smiled and kept going.

“Clearly. It will be a great opportunity to see how you get dressed in swimsuits.”

Steve looked at him in disbelief.

“Really?”

"I need some encouragement to get out of the air conditioning, my love. May it be to admire the beauty of my boyfriend taking a dip in the sea.” Tony smiled crookedly.

Steve shook his head, but eventually smiled.

“I have an incorrigible boyfriend.”

"And that's how you like me."

The two of them reached the bedroom and stood at the doorframe.

"I like you in all your ways." Steve smiled and kissed him.

And Tony was sure that it was real. Because he would never have dreamed of someone so perfect and who could love him as completely as Steve.

 

.  
.  
.

 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to you who came until here, to you who read the whole story, to you who started now. Thank you for the kudos, the comments, the support and for being such incredible people.
> 
> Happy Holidays!
> 
> xo <3


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